Several leaders whose communities have large ties to the opposite side of the Canada-U.S. border say the potential lift on non-essential travel over the next few months is long overdue, though health experts are still voicing caution.
Non-essential travel from the U.S. could potentially start by mid-August for fully-vaccinated travellers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the country’s premiers Thursday night. Should COVID-19 vaccination rates in Canada continue to remain high and hit certain thresholds, Trudeau said that fully-vaccinated travellers from other countries could begin to come into the country by September.
While the announcement isn’t a confirmation yet of the border’s reopening, the deadline on restricted Canada-U.S. border travel could be extended for the last and final time after they’re set to expire on July 21.
Trudeau’s comments came as anticipation built over whether the federal government would extend that deadline July 21 deadline by another 30 days — or lift it entirely.
1:44 Shop owners prepare as border slowly reopens
Shop owners prepare as border slowly reopens
Kelley Lee, a global infectious disease governance expert and professor at Simon Fraser University, told Global News that she was relieved that the date was possibly going to be extended for at least another month.
While her anxiety has been lifted on whether communities near Canadian borders could possibly see a sudden influx of travelers by next week — and with it possible new outbreaks of COVID-19 — Lee said that she was hoping for that deadline to be extended even further, at least until September.
“We’re not trying to shut the border; we’re not trying to keep them out,” she said.
“The issue is that we’re not quite at the level of full vaccination as U.S. is, and then both countries need to get a higher level of vaccination.”
Lee also pointed to the renewed spread of COVID-19 in the U.S., which has mostly been among its unvaccinated population, as well as the current lack of a standardized vaccine passport for both countries.
Currently about 55 per cent of Canada’s eligible population, which excludes children under the age of 12, have been fully vaccinated so far according to COVID-19tracker.ca.
2:00 Possible border reopening welcome news for Edmonton International Airport, manufacturing sector
Possible border reopening welcome news for Edmonton International Airport, manufacturing sector
The U.S., on the other hand, has administered one dose to 65 per cent of their eligible population, while 56 per cent have received two shots. Public health experts have also pointed to the slowing vaccination rate in the country — especially in pockets or communities that are vaccine-hesitant.
For some Canadians whose businesses or communities have heavily relied on tourism or on their neighbours across the border, the prime minister’s comments — as included in a readout of the First Minister’s call Thursday — were much needed.
Windsor, Ont., mayor Drew Dilkens told Global News in an interview Friday that the news was “long overdue” and the sooner they can open the border for fully-vaccinated travellers, the better it would for both sides.
“I think the fact that the borders continue to be closed certainly has a disproportionate effect on families who live in border communities like mine,” Dilkens said.
Though the news of a potential border reopening just around the corner was welcomed by Dilkens, he said that what’s needed now is a concrete timeline on when it would be reopened and what the rules would look like.
3:48 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau updates border reopening plan
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau updates border reopening plan
Dilkens was in agreement that the next “logical step” would be to only allow border crossings for travelers who were fully vaccinated, though he said that over time as vaccination numbers increase, more and more restrictions should be removed to allow businesses to thrive and families to reunite.
“Living here in Windsor, home to the busiest border crossing between the U.S. and Canada, it has a huge effect,” said Dilkens of the current non-essential border restrictions.
From a business perspective, he said that supply chains on both sides of the border were tightly integrated, but from a “human perspective,” the border closure has had a huge impact on families on both sides over the last 16 months.
1:57 Reopening of Canada-U.S. Border less certain.
Reopening of Canada-U.S. Border less certain.
The mayor of Niagara, Ont., another busy border crossing in Canada, told Global News on Friday that the whole process has been very frustrating due to a lack of communication on a reopening plan.
“When businesses need to hire employees, bring in inventory — you need to know the plan and then people can be prepared, because its not as easy as flipping a light switch,” Jim Diodati said on the Scott Thompson Show Friday.
He said that he and other border mayors were scheduled to have a meeting with Public Safety Minister Bill Blair on Monday, and that such a plan was still being vetted, but that Canadians would likely have more details by next week.
Lee, who has been working alongside an international team of researchers studying cross-border measures during the pandemic, said that she would very much like to see the implementation of three specific restrictions to safely ease the country’s border reopening.
The first would be to require any exempt or essential travellers to be vaccinated and tested, the second would be to test all fully-vaccinated travellers up to two times after their arrival in Canada and lastly to implement a robust and fast form of contact tracing of new breakthrough infections.
Those “solutions,” which were included in an open letter to the federal government and signed by a handful of prominent public health professionals, would help buffer against new outbreaks — especially against variants — and ease travel restrictions back to normal according to her.
“So it’s a matter of time and I think it’s up to Americans to get themselves vaccinated,” Lee said.
MONTREAL – One expert says entry-level pay under the tentative deal between Air Canada and its pilots could be a stumbling block ahead of a union vote on the agreement.
Under their current contract, pilots earn far less in their first four years at the company before enjoying a big wage increase starting in year five.
The Air Line Pilots Association had been pushing to scrap the so-called “fixed rate” provision entirely.
But according to a copy of the contract summary obtained by The Canadian Press, the proposed deal announced Sunday would merely cut the four-year period of lower pay to two years.
John Gradek, who teaches aviation management at McGill University, says as many as 2,000 of Air Canada’s roughly 5,200 active pilots may earn entry-level wages following a recent hiring surge.
After the airline averted a strike this week, Gradek says the failure to ditch the pay grade restrictions could prompt pushback from rank-and-file flight crew and jeopardize the deal, which is up for a vote next month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.
ROME (AP) — Salvatore “Totò” Schillaci, the Italy striker who was top scorer at its home World Cup in 1990, has died. He was 59.
Schillaci had been hospitalized in Palermo following treatment for colon cancer.
The Palermo Civico hospital said in a statement that Schillacci died on Wednesday morning after being admitted 11 days ago.
Schillaci scored six goals for Italy during the 1990 World Cup. He came on as a substitute during Italy’s opener against Austria, scored in a 1-0 victory, and went on to earn the Golden Boot awarded to the tournament’s top scorer. He only scored one other goal for Italy in his career.
Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina announced that a minute of silence would be held in memory of Schillaci before all games in the country for the rest of the week.
“The uncontrollable celebrations, in which his face was the symbol of shared joy, will remain forever part of Italian soccer (history),” Gravina said. “Totò was a great player, a symbol of tenacious desire and redemption. … His soccer was full of passion. And that fearless spirit made everyone appreciate him and will make him immortal.”
Schillaci also won the Golden Ball award at the 1990 World Cup as the tournament’s top player ahead of Lothar Matthaus and Diego Maradona.
Schillaci played for Messina, Juventus, Inter Milan and Japanese team Jubilo Iwata during his club career.
“You made an entire nation dream during the Magical Nights of Italia ’90,” Inter said on its social media channels.
West Germany won the 1990 World Cup, beating Argentina in the final, while Italy beat England for third place with a winning penalty kick from Schillaci.
Roberto Baggio, who scored Italy’s opening goal in the third-place match, wrote on Instagram, “Ciao my dear friend.”
Having been born and raised in Palermo, the Palermo soccer team announced that it would hold a public viewing of Schillaci at its Renzo Barbera stadium ahead of the funeral, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported.
French soccer player Wissam Ben Yedder will stay free ahead of his trial on charges of sexual assault while intoxicated, one of his lawyers told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Marie Roumiantseva said Ben Yedder will remain under strict judicial supervision after a woman filed a lawsuit for sexual assault earlier this month.
The 34-year-old Ben Yedder, a prolific striker in the French league, was briefly detained then released after the alleged incident in his car on the French Riviera. Ben Yedder had been stopped by police after he first refused to do so. He was then put in a jail cell.
After he was summoned to appear in court on Oct. 15 and placed under judicial supervision, the Nice prosecutor’s office appealed the decision not to remand the player in custody. The investigative chamber of the Court of Appeal of Aix-en-Provence did not grant this request and kept Ben Yedder under judicial supervision.
Ben Yedder attended a hearing Tuesday during which he offered to go to rehab. He has admitted he drove while under the influence of alcohol but has denied any sexual assault.
In a separate legal case last year, Ben Yedder was charged with “rape, attempted rape and sexual assault” over another alleged incident in the south of France.
Ben Yedder has been without a club since his contract with Monaco expired at the end of last season.
