Border city businesses call on federal government to drop COVID border restrictions
Businesses in border cities are calling on the government to lift COVID-19 border restrictions, including suspending the controversial ArriveCan app.
Many businesses say they depend on American travellers to help keep their businesses afloat, but U.S. visitors have continued to stay away this year.
“A lot of it has to do with, I think, how hard it is to get here,” said Tammy Elliott, who owns and operates the Dockside Restaurant located at the St. Clair River in Sarnia.
Elliott said, in a normal year, U.S. visitors account for 25 per cent of overall business. This year, it’s down to just five per cent.”
“We do have some boaters here that are American that go through the whole process of ArriveCan and all of the stuff, but it definitely is down.”
The Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce has joined a coalition of Chambers in calling on the federal government to lift the remaining restrictions, and most importantly, suspend the ArriveCan app.
According to the Sarnia Lambton Chamber, visits to Canada are still barely half of what they were pre-COVID.
CEO Carrie McEachran said that makes it tough for tourism-dependent businesses to bounce back.
“Tourism has decreased over the past three years. Now we’re in a recovery period, and it’s hard to recover when we have all these restrictions holding us back,” said McEachran.
The ArriveCan app processes traveller information, including their vaccination status. The federal government said it’s the easiest way for travelers to show they meet public health requirements.
“Show us the proof that this is actually impacting public health. If we can see the proof, we will stand behind that one hundred per cent,” McEachran added.
Last week, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore said the province’s seventh wave had peaked, as COVID rates appear to be falling again.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.