Windsor's mayor was hoping for a little more good news after the federal government announced a border reopening plan Monday.
Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and Health Minister Patty Hajdu laid out a plan to reopen the border, which means non-essential travellers who are fully vaccinated can cross into the US without having to quarantine upon returning to Canada. But Mayor Drew Dilkens said that news doesn't do much for the local economy, and has also taken an emotional toll.
"Families and businesses in Windsor-Essex have been waiting for almost 16 months for some certainty regarding international travel and today’s announcement, as well as last week’s extension of the border closure will continue to handicap our local social and economic recovery," said Dilkens in a statement released after Ottawa's announcement. "COVID-19 has separated families and required thousands of local residents to miss out on important milestones, from weddings to funerals, because of the unique nature of our cross-border community."
Dilkens said the lifting of quarantine requirements for those who travel is a start, but the decision did not address the thousands of people who would typically cross the border for short shopping trips, nightlife, vacation getaways, or attending sports games.
"Our region’s economic recovery isn’t going to be able to fully take hold until we are able to welcome US travellers for tourism and hospitality trips," said Dilkens. "Our local manufacturing sector has been ringing the alarm bell for months about the risks for long-term economic recovery that border restrictions continue to have on the supply-chain participants located on the Canadian side of the Detroit River."
The federal government has yet to lay out a plan for the second phase of border reopening. Under the steps outlined Monday, non-essential travellers must provide proof of two vaccination doses to avoid quarantine, along with a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure. Travellers must also take a COVID-19 test before returning to Canada.
The new border rules take effect at midnight, Sunday, July 5, after the Canada Day-US Independence Day weekend.