'It can’t come quick enough': Windsorites rejoice US land border reopening announcement
From family to business to pleasure, Windsorites have a laundry list of reasons why they’re excited for the US land borders to reopen in November.
“It can’t come quick enough,” says Carol Godin. “I have two grandkids that live in Detroit, I haven’t been able to go over there for the last two years.”
The White House confirmed Tuesday night the United States land and sea border will reopen to non-essential travel for fully vaccinated travellers in November after a record long closure of nearly 20 months.
The border announcement means local residents won’t have to spend hundreds of dollars and hop on numerous flights to visit family in Michigan who live a short drive away.
“Meeting my fiancé during a pandemic online was not an expected thing but it happened,” says Todd Shearon, who throughout the pandemic had to fly from Windsor to Toronto to Detroit, to visit his Michigan fiancé.
“You roll with those punches and they were like Mike Tyson punches, unfortunately they hurt pretty hard.”
Local snowbirds who were worried they would be forced to stay home for a second consecutive winter are also breathing a sigh of relief.
“We’re winter Texans. We winter for five months in Arlington Texas in Sunshine RV resort,” says snowbird Cameron Clark.
“I’d like to say hi to all my friends in Texas. See you soon, hopefully the first weekend of November.”
The local business community is also eagerly awaiting the border reopening.
“I can tell you how relieved we are, how relieved the businesses are, how relieved communities on both sides of the border are,” says Rakesh Naidu, Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce, president and CEO.
While supply chains and trucks have kept rolling, people who need to cross to do business have been waiting.
“When people meet and interact and engage, business happens,” says Naidu. “Finally, we are able to reclaim our lives back, our business lives back and bring some level of normalcy in our business relationship and business transactions.”
Jon Azzopardi, owner of Laval Tool and Mould in Oldcastle, Ont. says crossing into the U.S. right now is loaded with uncertainly.
He believes U.S. authorities have a lot to learn from Canada’s strict, but predictable approach to reopening the border which he says will do wonders to rebuild fractured relationships.
“I don’t think we’d be foolish to believe that these relationships aren’t going to take time to rebuild, but this is the first step towards moving to that,” Azzopardi says. “So that we can tell our clients that both sides of the border have a way for us to move people across the border.”
Windsor’s mayor has been pressing for a plan since the onset of the pandemic.
“Getting the border open in a safe way, which means fully vaccinated people able to cross I think is a great step. The devil of course is in the details, what will be required to cross in the U.S. is not entirely clear yet,” Mayor Drew Dilkens says.
According to Reuters, Canadian travellers won’t need a PCR test to enter the states, but will need proof of vaccination documentation and a test on the way home.
“Hopefully we’ll have guidance and clarity on that over the next few days,” Dilkens says. “But I like everyone is very excited to get the border open, I think it will be great to reconnect families and to get the economy humming once again.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Montreal doctors' breakthrough discovery about causes of cerebral palsy giving hope
A breakthrough discovery made by doctors at the Montreal Children's Hospital about the causes of cerebral palsy is giving new hope to one West Island family.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
For years she thought her son had died of an overdose. The police video changed all that
Austin Hunter Turner died in 2017, on a night that his mother has rewound and replayed again and again, trying to make sense of what happened.
Feeling older than you are? It could be how you sleep
Not getting enough sleep may cause you to feel five to 10 years older than you really are, according to two new studies.
OPP seize $7.5 million worth of drugs in eastern Ontario
The Upper Ottawa Valley Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police says one person is facing multiple charges after a traffic complaint on Highway 17 in Head Clara Maria Township.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.