'I'm very frustrated': Albertans, business groups critical of U.S. border restriction extension
Bruce Mitschke was planning on taking his boat along for his family vacation to Idaho in early August, but his plan to make the hours-long drive from his southern Alberta home are now on pause.
The U.S. announced Wednesday it is extending the restrictions at its land borders with Canada and Mexico for at least another month.
"I'm very frustrated because, for example, where we live, the U.S. is close. We've gone on vacation to a certain spot in the U.S. for 22 years. I can drive there without stopping anywhere, even a gas station," Mitschke said.
"We were anticipating the border being open, but the rules seem to have changed."
They changed just days after Canada announced it would open its border to Americans who are fully vaccinated on Aug. 9. At 12:01 a.m. of that date, U.S. travellers who are fully vaccinated can enter Canada and won't have to quarantine.
U.S. border, July 21, 2021
Canadians travelling to the U.S. by land can only do so for essential reasons. However, Canadians can still enter the U.S. by air, but must provide a negative COVID-19 test to do so.
"I don't understand why we can fly there, but we can't drive there," Mitschke said, explaining the drive down to the American property he co-owns takes about a third of the time it would for him to fly.
"I just think the border should be open for those of us who have followed and done the things that we've been asked to do," he said.
QUESTIONS
Travel and business groups on both sides of the border question the border closure extension, too.
"It's a disappointing development and we're hopeful the White House will change its mind," said Scotty Greenwood with the Canadian-American Business Council.
"We're looking forward to the time when we have total symmetry and reciprocity and a coordinated way of managing our common border."
Lorraine Clarno with the chamber of commerce in Kalispell, Montana, said hotels there are full of domestic travellers for now, but businesses there rely on Canadian visitors in the fall and winter months.
"We feel a real kindred spirit with our fellow Canadians and Albertans and they're certainly missed," she said.
A lot of them are visitors, but, you know, a lot of them are investors in our community."
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it’s not up to Canada to “dictate” how and when the U.S. decides to reopen its border to Canadians and that the response to border measures from both governments has been “asymmetric” since the start of the pandemic.
“I think every country should and does set its own border policies. We have been working with the United States to keep them informed to make sure that as much as possible our choices are aligned, but you will have seen, everyone will have seen that our countries took different approaches certainly during the beginning of the pandemic,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
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.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.