WASHINGTON – People who have been pushing to fully open the U.S.-Canada border reacted with cautious optimism Friday after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that vaccinated American travelers could be welcomed back to Canada in mid-August.
"It is the beginning of the end, a bright spot in an otherwise dark tunnel," said Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat who has been pushing for months for the border to reopen. "But we have to wait for the details. This thing is going to have to be developed in a way that works as efficiently, as effectively as possible."
“Canada would be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September,” the readout from the prime minister's office said.
Rep. Chris Jacobs, an Orchard Park Republican, agreed.
“It’s about time. Families, homeowners and small business owners should not have had to wait this long," said Jacobs, who has criticized both Trudeau and President Biden for being hesitant and not very forthcoming about reopening the border.
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"This announcement still lacks any actual details, which is par for the course for these two administrations," Jacobs added.
"I said if they come up with no plan or a plan that would be so cumbersome that it would make travel at the borders slow down to a snail's pace and be ridiculous and cumbersome, the U.S. should just open unilaterally," Schumer said.
Trudeau announced late Thursday night that he expects the land border between the U.S. and Canada to be opened to vaccinated Americans in mid-August.
The prime minister's office made the announcement in a written summary of his meeting with premiers of his nation's 10 provinces, which also said Canada would likely open its borders to nonessential travelers from other countries the following month.
“Canada would be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September,” the readout from the prime minister's office said. “He noted the ongoing discussions with the United States on reopening plans, and indicated that we could expect to start allowing fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents into Canada as of mid-August for non-essential travel.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The release from Trudeau's office was otherwise lacking in specifics about the reopening.
For example, it did not say whether visiting Americans would have to take a Covid-19 test both before leaving the United States and after arriving in Canada, as returning Canadians now must do.
That's why Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer didn't go overboard in praising the Canadian move.
“Canada’s announcement is an encouraging step, but the devil will be in the details," said Schumer, a New York Democrat. "We must make sure there are no cumbersome hurdles for vaccinated Americans, and if there are the United States should open our border to vaccinated Canadian travelers without delay to establish a coherent border policy.”
The U.S.-Canada land border closed to nonessential travel on March 21, 2020, early in the Covid-19 pandemic. The two nations have extended that closure on a monthly basis ever since.
The latest extension of the land border is scheduled to expire Wednesday. Trudeau's announcement implied it would be extended again for at least a couple of weeks, but not another full month.
That came as partial good news to Sandy Pearce of Fort Erie, who formed Families Are Essential, one of several groups that have been advocating to reopen the border.
In a letter to President Biden, those 75 lawmakers – led by Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat, as well as Michigan Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga and Florida Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor – said the pandemic has eased to the point where cross-border travel can resume.
"I'm very excited," Pearce said. "But why do we have to wait until mid-August? Why does he have to put it off for another three weeks? Why couldn't you just make it July 21?"
Trudeau's statement indicated that leaders of Canada's provinces were happy to hear that Canada was moving to reopen its border.
"First Ministers expressed their support of reopening plans, and agreed on the importance of ensuring clarity and predictability as initial steps are taken," the statement said. "The prime minister indicated that ministers would share more details on these plans early next week."
U.S. officials have not yet said anything about plans to reopen the border to nonessential Canadian travelers, but the two nations are expected to open the border in tandem.
Both governments have been under increasing pressure to open the border from business groups and lawmakers on both sides of the border – and from John Adams, a retired magazine publisher who's been sponsoring TV ads urging a border reopening.
Asked how he felt about Trudeau's announcement, Adams – who owns a home in Canada – said: "I view it with cautious optimism, because I have seen this kind of thing before. I have seen the goalposts moved every time, but my sense this time is that there's a whole ton of hands from the U.S. on the goalposts, saying: 'You ain't moving them again.' And there's a lot of Canadian hands on there saying the same thing."
