'There was a sigh of relief': Loosened border restrictions met with mixed feelings in Windsor-Essex
People looking forward to loosened restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border finally have something to celebrate, 15 months after the border was closed to non-essential traffic.
“There was a sigh of relief, like okay, we can start to see some positive and light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak,” says Laurie Tannous, an immigration lawyer based in Windsor and Detroit.
Tannous notes the phased approach, which begins with eliminating quarantine rules for returning Canadians and permanent residents on July 5, are in line with expectations.
“For the border to be closed as long as it has, I don’t think any of us who do this work on the daily, expected it to just fling back open,” she says.
Travellers who are currently able to enter Canada under the existing rules and are fully vaccinated will be able to do so without having to self-isolate for 14 days, taking a test on day eight, or having to stay in a quarantine hotel upon arrival.
Tannous says she will be advising clients there are options available to Canadians to partake in cross-border travel under the new rules.
“To me, visiting a family member or conducting a business, that’s essential, and if that means people need to fly out of Canada and drive back in and they’ve vaccinated, that means they qualify within the law and they’re being compliant, so I support that,” Tannous says.
But businesses fighting for changes at the border says the new rules only address one half of the equation.
“This sounds like great news if you’re a Canadian, and it is. Hats off to the federal government and the province. A little late, but better late than never,” says Jon Azzopardi, the president and owner of Laval Tool and Die in Oldcastle, Ont.
Azzopardi will now be able to send technicians across the border for essential work and have them back on the job the next day, something he’s been pushing for months.
But Azzopardi believes the same rules that will allow Canadians to return home from travel should apply to fully vaccinated Americans as well, which would make a big difference for his cross-border business.
“I really struggle with why Americans are not included on that list,” he says. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m a happy camper right now. I’m just not over the finish line yet. I’m not in the end zone. You won’t see me doing the happy dance just yet.”
Rakesh Naidu of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce says the loosened quarantine restrictions also don’t do much for border cities who rely on tourism as an economic driver.
“There’s no reason why we should not consider fully vaccinated Americans as safe enough to cross the border,” says Naidu. “And if we were to allow them to come, it would make a huge difference for businesses, for tourism, and you can do it in a safe manner.”
Naidu says every day counts, especially for businesses who will lose another month of the summer tourism season waiting for the next phase.
He’d like to see a bubble established between Canada and the U.S.
“We’ve been holding our breath for quite some time and it’s suffocating for a lot of businesses,” he says.
Laurie Tannous believes all signs point to a less restrictive border by the fall of 2021.
“If the metrics continue in a positive trend, an upward trend, we will move to the next phase of the opening,” she says.
- With files from CTV Windsor's Stefanie Masotti
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.