Premier Horgan meeting with Trudeau, other premiers to discuss border reopening

Jun 14 2021, 9:53 pm

BC Premier John Horgan is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, alongside other premiers in the country, to discuss a potential reopening of the Canada-US border.

Details of the meeting, which will take place on Thursday, were shared as officials discussed Step 2 of BC’s COVID-19 restart plan.

“On Thursday, the Prime Minister has asked the premiers to come together to talk about reopening the borders,” Horgan explained during the press conference. “Land, sea, and air. And of course, we are very interested in those discussions.”

Horgan also acknowledged the amount of stress and uncertainty being caused by the border closure, saying that he understood the level of anxiety amongst people.”

“We have been working on it quietly because there is anxiety in the community,” he noted. “I know that. I feel that. We want to make sure we’re on the right track.”

There has been mounting pressure on the federal government to reopen the Canada-US border. In late May, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) said that a reopening was needed to occur in order to “save tourism” in the country.

The land border between Canada and the US has been closed to all non-essential travel since March 2020. And although no official date has been announced, both Canada and the US have said the border will remain closed until at least June 21.

Although travellers can still fly into Canada from the US, they are subject to a strict 14-day quarantine upon arrival, the first several days of which must be spent at a designated hotel.

Vincent PlanaVincent Plana

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