MONTREAL, CANADA —
Birds of a feather normally flock together, but the pandemic has divided Canada’s “snowbird” warm weather migrants into two camps: those staying home this winter and those heading to Florida no matter the cost.
Nearly a million Canadians make the annual pilgrimage, fleeing to the southern United States to pass what would otherwise be gray and snowy months with their toes tucked in the sand and ocean breeze in their hair.
The coronavirus has led a majority to forgo the trip this year — but for those flouting Canada’s repeated calls to stay put, the price tag on winter at the beach has skyrocketed.
With the land border between the U.S. and Canada closed for non-essential travel since March, Canada has implored its citizens to stay home.
“Now is not the right time for a vacation abroad,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday, as the country’s second coronavirus wave surges with no sign of slowing.
About 900,000 Canadians spend a large portion of the winter in Florida and in other southern U.S. states, Johanne Blain, director of the Canadian Snowbird Association for the French-speaking province pf Quebec, told AFP.
She estimates that only 30 per cent of that number are doing so this year, however.
That said, rules on the U.S. side are fairly welcoming to sun-starved northerners: The country is allowing in Canadians who fly even for non-essential travel. Canada, on the other hand, is not admitting Americans under the same circumstances.
And while Canadians do not have to respect quarantine rules in Florida, they must do so for 14 days upon return home.
Those who want to make the trip by car or motorhome, meanwhile, simply take advantage of a legal loophole to circumvent the closed land border.
Michael Couturier, CEO of Quebec-based Transport KMC, leads the way.
His clients board a plane in the Montreal suburbs and arrive 12 minutes later in Plattsburgh, New York, where a KMC employee meets them with their vehicle, transported across the border.
The experience does not come cheap: Each plane ticket costs C$500 (around $390) and hauling the vehicle 55 miles (90 kilometers) across the border sets customers back $1,000.
Around 2,000 people have so far used the service, according to Couturier.
‘CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE’
“All we want… is to have peace of mind and be surrounded by joy, not gloom,” a “snowbird” who had recently arrived in Florida with her husband, told AFP.
“We can’t take it anymore, we just want to live our life, we are 60 years old, we decided to live in a motorhome,” she said, requesting that her name not be used.
Whether or not to head south is “a bit of a heartbreaking decision” for those who spend all year in motorhomes, Blain said.
Such snowbirds generally do not have a permanent home and migrate seasonally between Canada and Florida, often for many years, she said.
Snowbirds are also paying top dollar to have companies like KMC transport their vehicle all the way to Florida for an average price of C$1,500-1,800 — but it can cost up to $4,500.
“Thanks to the snowbirds, we had to hire more personnel to meet the demand,” Couturier said. “It’s a very good situation for us right now.”
More than 3.6 million Canadians officially visited Florida last year, or one in 10 people.
Blain said she and her husband will not be among those visiting this winter and did not want to run the risk of catching the coronavirus.
Florida has reported more than twice as many cases as Canada — around 1.2 million — despite having a population that is only a little over half the size.
“When you are sick, you are vulnerable, and on top of that not even in our own country, even if we do have functioning health insurance,” she said.
“We’re better off close to family, because you never know what can happen,” she said.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
