Canadian traveller's alleged $6K fine over ArriveCAN app doesn't garner much sympathy online

Aug 25 2022, 6:21 pm

If you’ve travelled out of Canada’s largest airport in the past few months, you may be aware of the delays and lineups caused, in part, by the ArriveCAN app.

Even though travellers now have 72 hours to submit their travel details, vaccination information, and customs declaration, the app is still causing a lot of headaches. It’s so bad that even a US congresswoman wants Canada to end its required use of it.

Many people have been held at Pearson Airport and threatened with hefty fines for not following the ArriveCAN rules.

The same thing happened to Twitter user @metapills, who revealed they were fined $6,255 at Pearson for not disclosing their vaccination status. 

The incident is dividing the community but the majority seem to believe the individual must pay up and follow the rules “like an adult.”

The traveller, who, according to their Twitter bio, is the head of marketing at Bitcoin, documented their stressful experience on August 24 in a series of tweets (including video) that have nearly 5,000 retweets combined.

The individual alleged they were detained by Ontario Provincial Police and threatened with arrest.

The OPP officer told me that it was within my right to refuse to use the ArriveCAN app, but that exercising that right would result in a $6,255 fine for failing to comply with the Quarantine Act,” they tweeted.

Daily Hive reached out to OPP, which says it does not have any jurisdiction over Pearson Airport — Peel Police does. We reached out to Peel Police for comment but have not received a response confirming the incident in question.

The individual continues on to say they were never tested or given any information about quarantining upon arrival at Pearson.

They then shared a video of a police officer allegedly detaining them.

If you don’t want to fill out ArriveCAN, which is completely within your rights, you have to accept ticketing. So it’s one or the other,” the officer said on the video.

While the Public Health Agency of Canada, the co-creator of the app, can’t comment on specific cases and individuals, it did tell us this:

“Travellers who are non-compliant with the Order in Council may be fined. Travellers who fail to submit proof of vaccination electronically using ArriveCAN are treated as unvaccinated travellers and required to quarantine for 14 days and take an on-arrival and day-eight test.”

PHAC added that tickets for non-compliance are issued at the discretion of the officer when warranted by the situation, including refusal to submit information.

It’s unclear what the user’s intentions were but the majority of Twitter is not siding with them.

“When traveling abroad, abide by each country’s rules or pay up fine you were warned about numerous times. Since you purposely avoided disclosing your vaccination status as if you had something to hide, I don’t feel sorry for you in any way, shape, or form,” @HabsHappy said in a tweet.

“Quit your whining and follow the rules like most Canadians do to help protect their fellow citizens,” said @Nancy_Crouse, after calling the user a “poor baby.”

Whose side are you on, and do you think the $6,000 fine is fair? Weigh in on the comments below.

Natalia BuiaNatalia Buia

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