Sarnia's mayor says Canadian border cities are being punished by the vaccine requirements at land border crossings.
Mike Bradley is among a group of border city officials calling on the Canadian government to end those vaccine requirements, including the ArriveCan app.
On Wednesday, Bradley took part in a virtual media conference from Ottawa. He was joined by Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati, Ville de Bromont Mayor Pauline Quinlan, South Okanagan—West Kootenay NDP MP Richard Cannings, and Frontier Duty Free Association Executive Director Barbara Barrett. Philipsburg Duty Free Secretary Alexandra Bachand and Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle Mayor Estelle Muzzi were also scheduled to take part.
Bradley said it's going to be a tough summer for all border cities.
"The benefits and support system are gone, yet the traffic we expected to get from the United States isn't going to happen to the degree that we need it. It's a bit like being in a Monty Python skit -- this has become very silly, the rules are inconsistent and they are disrespectful of the border cities that have stood by the federal government in the last two years."
The media conference was held a day after the federal government announced it was dropping the requirement for air and rail travellers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Despite the change, incoming travellers still need to provide proof of vaccination and answer pandemic-related questions on the ArriveCan app.
Bradley said it seems like border cities don't matter to the federal government.
"We need this decision made, at least on the app to be removed, now. We're going into the July 4-Canada Day weekend and if it was removed I can guarantee you that there would be a significant increase in traffic."
(From left to right) Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, Duty Free Executive Director Barbara Barrett, and MP Richard Cannings taking part in a media conference on the proposed elimination of the ArriveCan app and vaccine requirements at land border crossings. 15 June 2022. (Screenshot from Zoom)
Mayor Diodati said more than $105-billion for Canada's tourism and hospitality industry is at risk due to the requirements.
Bradley said border cities don't even seem to be a part of the discussion with the federal government as it relates to airports and rail and all of the other things.
"It's like a boa constrictor on our communities, it's just squeezing the economy when we should be going in the other direction. We stood by them for those 22 months and now we can't even get them to respond to the needs that we have."
Bradley said there seems to be support within the Liberal government for removing the requirements.
"But we're not getting the Prime Minister's Office, which seems very distracted from the border city issue, to make a decision," he said. "And you can't justify [the ArriveCan app's] continued existence. I don't know how we get Ottawa's attention on this because this is one means of doing it, but it's hurting economically when we can't afford it."
Bradley said the app is now a disaster.
"Have they actually looked at the results of what the benefits are? And any person looking at it objectively can say 'they're not there anymore.' I've learned a long time ago, I've been in politics a long time, when you're riding a dead horse, dismount, and that's what the federal government needs to do," he said. "We're the Rodney Dangerfield of cities right now because we're not treated with respect by the federal government."