On Sept. 7, Canada plans to open its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from across the globe, and let them skip the country’s 14-day quarantine requirement.
The rule change is significant, as most non-essential foreign travellers have been barred from entering Canada since the start of the pandemic.
The federal government started to relax the rules last month, when it began allowing fully vaccinated Americans to enter and skip quarantine.
But some are questioning if Canada will actually go ahead with its current plans, because on multiple websites, the government continues to call Sept. 7 the “intended” or “tentative” start date for welcoming foreign travellers from outside the U.S.
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“I’ve been kind of looking online every day, Googling to find out at what point is the government of Canada going to make a decision?” said Andy Green, of Halstead, U.K. He and his husband are set to fly to Vancouver on Sept. 9 for a 10-day vacation.
British couple Andy Green, right, and Robert Hull are arriving in Vancouver for vacation on Sept. 9, two days after Canada plans to start allowing fully vaccinated foreigners to enter the country. (Submitted by Andy Green)
When CBC News asked the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to confirm the start date, it implied Sept. 7 was indeed a go — unless the pandemic suddenly takes a turn for the worse.
“Provided that the domestic epidemiologic situation remains favourable, the government of Canada intends to open its borders for discretionary travel by travellers from any country who have been fully vaccinated,” said PHAC spokesperson Mark Johnson in an email.
Canada is currently entering a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections, with case numbers trending upward since the end of July. Most of the country’s cases and hospitalizations are among the unvaccinated.
In Alberta, where the infection rate is currently the highest, some physicians are expressing concern over the rising number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals.
At a news conference in early August, the federal government said it considered fully vaccinated travellers low risk, and that those entering would still have to comply with strict travel rules.
“Only fully vaccinated travellers [are] coming in. They have to get a test before they can even come to Canada,” said Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer.
The government also said it’s ready to revise its travel rules, if necessary.
“We’re taking a precautionary-phased approach to the border reopening,” said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer. “If we see any significant concerns, of course we can adjust accordingly.”
What are the new travel rules?
Although they’re still waiting for the government to confirm the start date, Green said he and his husband are excited about their trip to Vancouver, as they’ve never visited Canada.
“We’ve been pretty much locked down here in the U.K. — the same as you guys have over in Canada,” said Green. “It’s been a … pretty difficult time, so we’re looking forward to travelling.”
Even though the couple is fully vaccinated, Green said he’s still nervous about crossing the border.
“I’m kind of worried that we’re going to turn up at the airport — arrive in Vancouver — and for whatever reason, we’re going to have the wrong documentation.”
Foreign travellers will have to meet a set of requirements to enter Canada and skip quarantine.
First, to be considered fully vaccinated, they must have received all required doses of a Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccine 14 days prior to entering.
All travellers entering Canada must submit their <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#COVID19</a> info, including your vaccination status and test results within 72 hours before your arrival through <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/ArriveCan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#ArriveCan</a>. Learn more about travelling during COVID-19: <a href=”https://t.co/UWAbUqHWDX”>https://t.co/UWAbUqHWDX</a> <a href=”https://t.co/HqZ0aX8KNU”>pic.twitter.com/HqZ0aX8KNU</a>
Land travellers must also provide proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular test taken within 72 hours of planned entry to Canada. Air travellers must take such a test within 72 hours of the scheduled departure time of their final flight to the country.
There are also special requirements for travellers arriving from India or Morocco. Due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in both countries, the federal government has suspended all direct passenger flights from India until Sept. 21 and from Morocco until Sept. 29.
Currently, air passengers from those countries can only enter Canada if they show proof of a negative test taken in a different country and depart from that country to come to Canada.
New guidelines for unvaccinated children
Unvaccinated foreigners who are minors will be allowed to enter Canada with their fully vaccinated parents or guardians, but those 12 or older must quarantine.
Unvaccinated children under 12 can skip quarantine, but must follow a strict set of rules for 14 days.
WATCH | Americans reunited with loved ones at Canadian border:
Joyful reunions, long lineups as Canada reopens border to vaccinated Americans
25 days ago
There were many joyful reunions on the first day that Canada allowed discretionary travel from the U.S. for people who are fully vaccinated. But it also resulted in long lineups at land border crossings. 2:57
For example, children must avoid all contact with people, such as seniors, who can be more susceptible to falling seriously ill from COVID-19. Children must also avoid crowded settings, such as schools, camps, daycares, amusement parks and sporting events.
They can, however, visit “essential settings,” such as pharmacies or grocery stores, if wearing a mask and accompanied by their guardians.
According to the government, children — and their parents — who don’t comply could be transferred to a quarantine facility and face fines, or even imprisonment.
Provincial vaccine passports
Another hurdle travellers to Canada may face is having to prove their vaccination status to enter certain venues.
In Quebec and Manitoba, people must show proof of vaccination to gain entry to many non-essential locations and activities. Ontario plans to soon implement a similar vaccine passport program, and British Columbia will put one into effect on Sept. 13.
Jimmy Staveris, left, manager of Dunn’s Famous restaurant in Montreal, scans the QR code of a client as Quebec’s COVID-19 vaccine passport comes into effect. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
For Green and his husband, that means four days after they arrive in Vancouver, they’ll be required to show their vaccination documents, along with their passports, at restaurants, concerts, sporting events and nightclubs.
But Green said he was happy to hear the news.
‘I don’t want to be dining or attending a bar/club with others who are unvaccinated.”
Have questions about this story? We’re answering as many as we can in the comments.
TORONTO – Will Taylor Swift bring chaos or do we all need to calm down?
It’s a question many Torontonians are asking this week as the city braces for the massive fan base of one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Hundreds of thousands of Swifties are expected to descend on downtown core for the singer’s six concerts which kick off Thursday at the Rogers Centre and run until Nov. 23.
And while their arrival will be a boon to tourism dollars, it could further clog the city’s already gridlocked streets.
Swift’s shows collide with other scheduled events at the nearby Scotiabank Arena, including a Toronto Raptors game on Friday and a Toronto Maple Leafs game on Saturday.
Some locals have already adjusted their plans to avoid the area.
Aahil Dayani says he and some friends intended to throw a birthday bash for one of their pals, until they realized it would overlap with the concerts.
“Ultimately, everybody agreed they just didn’t want to deal with that,” he said.
“Something as simple as getting together and having dinner is now thrown out the window.”
Dayani says the group rescheduled the birthday party for after Swift leaves town. In the meantime, he plans to hunker down at his Toronto residence.
“Her coming into town has kind of changed up my social life,” he added.
“We’re pretty much just not doing anything.”
Max Sinclair, chief executive and founder of A.I. technology firm Ecomtent, has suggested his employees stay away from the company’s downtown offices on concert days, since he doesn’t see the point in forcing people to endure potential traffic jams.
“It’s going to be less productive for us, and it’s going to be just a pain for everyone, so it’s easier to avoid it,” he said.
“We’re a hybrid company, so we can be flexible. It just makes sense.”
Toronto Transit Commission spokesperson Stuart Green says the public agency has been preparing for over a year to ease the pressure of so many Swifties in one confined area.
Dozens of buses and streetcars have been added to the transit routes around the stadium, while the TTC has consulted with the city on how to handle potential emergency scenarios.
“There may be some who will say we’re over-preparing, and that’s fair,” Green said.
“But we know based on what’s happened in other places, better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Electronic Arts has incorporated the Professional Women’s Hockey League into its NHL 25 video game.
The six teams starting their second seasons Nov. 30 will be represented in “play now,” “online versus,” “shootout” and “season” modes, plus a championship Walter Cup, in the updated game scheduled for release Dec. 5, the PWHL and EA Sports announced Wednesday.
Gamers can create a virtual PWHL player.
The league and video game company have agreed to a multi-year partnership, the PWHL stated.
“Our partnership with EA SPORTS opens new doors to elevate women’s hockey across all levels,” said PWHL operations senior vice-president Amy Scheer in a statement.
“Through this alliance, we’ll develop in-game and out-of-game experiences that strengthen the bond between our teams, players, and fans, bringing the PWHL closer to the global hockey community.”
NHL 22 featured playable women’s teams for the first time through an agreement with the International Ice Hockey Federation.
Toronto Sceptres forward Sarah Nurse became the first woman to appear on the video game’s cover in 2023 alongside Anaheim Ducks centre Trevor Zegras.
The Ottawa Charge, Montreal Victoire, Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost and New York Sirens round out the PWHL. The league announced team names and logos in September, and unveiled jerseys earlier this month.
“It is so meaningful that young girls will be able to see themselves in the game,” said Frost forward Taylor Heise, who grew up playing EA’s NHL games.
“It is a big milestone for inclusivity within the hockey community and shows that women’s prominence in hockey only continues to grow.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. continued to navigate weaker consumer demand in the third quarter as it looked ahead to the spinoff of its pork business in 2025.
“This environment has a particularly significant impact on a premium portfolio like ours and I want you to know that we are not sitting still waiting for the macro environment to recover on its own,” said CEO Curtis Frank on a call with analysts.
Frank said the company is working to adapt its strategies to consumer demand. As inflation has stabilized and interest rates decline, he said pressure on consumers is expected to ease.
Maple Leaf reported a third-quarter profit of $17.7 million compared with a loss of $4.3 million in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to 14 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a loss of four cents per share a year earlier. Sales for the quarter totalled $1.26 billion, up from $1.24 billion a year ago.
“At a strategic level … we’re certainly seeing the transitory impacts of an inflation-stressed consumer environment play through our business,” Frank said.
“We are seeing more trade-down than we would like. And we are making more investments to grow our volume and protect our market share than we would like in the moment. But again, we believe that those impacts will prove to be transitory as they have been over the course of history.”
Financial results are improving in the segment as feed costs have stabilized, said Dennis Organ, president, pork complex.
Maple Leaf, which is working to spin off its pork business into a new, publicly traded company to be called Canada Packers Inc. and led by Organ, also said it has identified a way to implement the plan through a tax-free “butterfly reorganization.”
Frank said Wednesday that the new structure will see Maple Leaf retain slightly lower ownership than previously intended.
The company said it continues to expect to complete the transaction next year. However, the spinoff under the new structure is subject to an advance tax ruling from the Canada Revenue Agency and will take longer than first anticipated.
Maple Leaf announced the spinoff in July with a plan to become a more focused consumer packaged goods company, including its Maple Leaf and Schneiders brands.
“The prospect of executing the transaction as a tax-free spin-off is a positive development as we continue to advance our strategy to unlock value and unleash the potential of these two unique and distinct businesses,” Frank said in the news release.
He also said that Maple Leaf is set on delivering profitability for its plant protein business in mid-2025.
“This includes the recent completion of a procurement project aimed at leveraging our purchasing scale,” he said.
On an adjusted basis, Maple Leaf says it earned 18 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 13 cents per share in the same quarter last year.
The results were largely in line with expectations, said RBC analyst Irene Nattel in a note.
Maple Leaf shares were down 4.5 per cent in midday trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange at $21.49.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
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