American visitors and Sarnia civic leaders celebrate possible end of ArriveCan app

Reports the federal government will soon ease COVID-19 restrictions at land borders is welcome news for most American travellers.

A group of Michigan seniors who crossed at Sarnia, Ont. on Wednesday tell CTV News they almost reconsidered their trip to Stratford, Ont. over frustration with the ArriveCan app.

“My husband hated it,” said Barbara Peterson of Beverly Hills, Michigan.

Peterson’s husband, David, confirmed her assessment. He said when he showed his completed app to a Canadian border agent they “didn’t want it and pushed it away.”

Stories like the Peterson’s worry Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley.

In June, Bradley joined political leaders from both sides of the border in calling for the scrapping of the ArriveCan app.

While Bradley welcomes reports it may soon disappear, he said it is too late for tourism.

“It’s late in the game. We lost a season,” he added.

And that’s a double whammy Bradley argued, given the uncertainly about the economy.

“There are warnings of a Canadian and international recession and can we get enough momentum going to get the tourism industry back on its feet and rebuild it?” he said.

And there is a lot of rebuilding to do. Figures show passenger traffic coming into Canada from the U.S. has dropped dramatically.

From January to August 2019, Tourism Sarnia-Lambton (TSL) said nearly one million cars travelled the Bluewater Bridge.

During the same period in 2022, 430,000 passenger vehicles crossed.

The situation slightly improved in August but remained down nearly 50 per cent over the same period in 2019.

“We know we have to reach Americans and let them know the restrictions are lifted and that the border is fully open,” stated TSL Executive Director Mark Perrin.

Both he and Bradley are calling for federal and provincial help with marketing campaigns.

A good plan for most, yet, Steve Stauff of Lansing, Michigan is one American who would like the ArriveCan app to become permanent.

“I think it’s a benefit. Once you get the information loaded into the system, it’s really there. The passport information and your COVID information. You have to do very little to keep using it.”