Editor's note: The story has been updated to show the Canada-U.S. border ban has been extended to June 21.
If the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic news coverage is too much, you are not alone. We do recommend if you need a quick dosage of pandemic news, spend about 2 minutes with James Murray on the World at Six from CBC News.
Toward the beginning of each newscast, Murray gives the listener a capsule of the day's COVID-19 news in Canada, United States, and the rest of the world. We haven't timed the segment but Murray takes fewer than 2 minutes to give the highlights.
Feel free to listen longer than just the updates from James Murray. If you can't handle more than 2 minutes, Murray will help you out.
The World at Six runs weeknights at 6 pm local time/6:30 pm in Newfoundland on CBC Radio One. You can find the frequency nearest you or find the program on the CBC Listen app. You can also listen in podcast form wherever you get your podcasts.
Some Canadian provinces are easing their COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic restrictions
We have noted the limited travel between Canada and the United States during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The provinces are also cracking down on travel between the provinces.
Out east, Nova Scotia has checkpoints at every major entry point. People are stopped and questioned. Only Newfoundland and Labrador residents are allowed to enter that province. Prince Edward Island is closed to non-residents, except for health-care providers and other essential workers. Provincial peace officers in New Brunswick are at each of 7 interprovincial land entry points.
Manitoba allows a 50-kilometre "buffer zone" into northwestern Ontario; the province requires a 14-day self-isolation otherwise for entering the province, except for essential workers.
Lloydminister, Alberta and Saskatchewan and Ottawa/Gatineau are rare exceptions of communities that cross provincial borders frequently within Canada.
Canada-U.S. border closes to non-essential traffic over COVID-19 coronavirus
The travel ban between Canada and the United States is likely to be renewed this week. The 2-month ban expires May 21. [The ban was extended to June 21 on Tuesday.] Exceptions are made for essential travel, though this story hints that air travel into the United States is easier than a land crossing.
Rosemary Barton reported on the Party Lines podcast on CBC Radio last week that from March 21 to the beginning of May that 2,500 Americans tried to cross the Canadian border for non-essential reasons and were turned away. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is adamant about not having the international border be reopened. The question is whether the U.S. wants to reopen the border before Canada does (i.e., the angry toddler) and whether Canada would say no.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made countries feel more nationalistic. Canada is requiring a 14-day quarantine. Given the startling number of cases and deaths in the United States, the American government is just as eager to keep the border closed.
As for wanting to travel to Canada, I would gladly do so in a heartbeat, even now. I would feel much safer in Canada and, if I were Canadian, much more financially secure. The 14-day quarantine eliminates simple pleasure trips. Not being practical to travel to Canada is a reality that doesn't diminish my desire to travel to Canada. Not one bit.
COVID-19 notebook: How Canada is faring in the coronavirus pandemic
CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage
Calgary Stampede. Canadian National Exhibition. The very cool Montréal festivals. These and other great summer activities aren't happening in 2020. You can't close the Canadian Rockies, the Bay of Fundy, and the surf off Tofino in British Columbia.
I have travel memories of all 10 provinces. We would be pushing people to travel to see Canada at this time of the year. Even if you can't literally travel to Canada, find a way to do it virtually. Victoria Day marks the beginning of summer in Canada. The 2020 summer is a summer of uncertainty for Canada and the rest of the world.
photo credit: CBC News
Comments