'Never asked': B.C. couple claims COVID-19 documentation wasn't checked on international flight
A British Columbia man says he and his wife weren't asked for proof of vaccination or for negative COVID-19 tests on a flight from Cabo San Lucas to Calgary this week.
Ken Poirier said everyone on his flight from Mexico was left unchecked, and he's now wondering why he spent the time and money getting a COVID-19 test done if it went unused.
"Nobody ever asked us anything about COVID-19," Poirier told CTV News. "Not for our (vaccine) passports, not for the negative test report, nothing."
"I could've saved myself $80 US and not done it and nobody would ever be the wiser."
Poirier said he and his wife took the trip because they are both fully vaccinated and wanted to get out of the country.
"So the vaccinations and the testing process and that was supposed to be the safety gap where we could feel comfortable knowing that everybody on the plane is protected," Poirier said. "But that wasn't the case."
The airline said it is investigating the allegations.
"Most certainly we are looking into it and we are going to see what the situation was, specifically in Mexico," WestJet public relations manager Morgan Bell said. "(We want to find out) why that situation may not have been consistent with all of the other experiences that we're having."
The Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) says the onus falls on air carriers to check documentation.
However, spokesperson Rebecca Purdy also wrote that "the mandatory digital submission of information via the ArriveCAN app prior to entry to Canada assists the CBSA to systematically identify fully-vaccinated travellers, and has reduced the need for travellers to provide paper documentation on arrival."
Bell echoed that proof of vaccination on the app is technically a legal attestation, but Westjet passengers are typically checked again.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.