Ontario lifting border restrictions with Quebec and Manitoba this week
Ontario’s border restrictions with Quebec and Manitoba will expire this week, meaning travellers can drive across the provincial boundaries without having an essential reason for the trip.
The interprovincial border restrictions were not extended past their original expiration date of June 16, and a spokesperson for Solicitor General Sylvia Jones confirmed the restrictions will be lifted at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday.
“Individuals will be able to enter Ontario via its interprovincial land and water borders,” Stephen Warner told Daily Hive. “Those entering Ontario must continue to follow the public health measures in place in the province.”
The provincial border checkpoints began on April 19 in an effort to discourage non-essential travel and bring the third wave of COVID-19 infections under control. Police stopped drivers entering Ontario and asked for their ID and reason for entering. They could turn travellers around if they didn’t have a valid reason to enter.
- See also:
Essential reasons for a trip included:
- Having a principal residence is in Ontario
- Moving to Ontario
- Travelling through Ontario without unnecessary stops to get to another destination
- Coming to work in Ontario
- Transporting goods as part of a business operation
- Accessing health care
- To exercise custody rights
- To comply with a court order
- Exercising treaty right
- Responding to a critical incident
- Humanitarian trip (e.g., caring for a sick person, visiting someone who is dying, attending a funeral)
Ontario has now entered Step 1 of its reopening plan, and restrictions on camping are scheduled to be lifted on Wednesday as well.