Southbound Canadian snowbirds will provide a bit of a bump for businesses in Oroville, Wash. next month when the Canada-U.S. border re-opens to non- essential travel.
But the struggling town just south of Osoyoos will still be missing the Canadian day-trippers who have for decades been an important part of the economy, shopping in local stores, eating in restaurants and stocking up on fuel.
A cavalcade of snowbirds is expected starting Nov. 8, when recreational travel is set to resume following an announcement from the U.S. State Department.
And they will stop for gasoline, groceries and other provisions on their way to sunny winters in California, Arizona and elsewhere.
Those travellers — at least as current Canadian pandemic safety measures stand — will need to present a recent negative COVID test upon returning to Canada following their winter get-aways.
That rule applies to all Canadians entering the U.S. at land border crossings, even for a half an hour to buy fuel and beer.
With a local population of around 2,000, Oroville is about five minutes into the U.S., clinging to the southern end of Osoyoos Lake. It’s an agricultural service centre and recreational hub.
A vital aspect of the town’s pre-pandemic economy was the daily influx of Canadians, from the South Okanagan particularly, who nip across the border for cheap gasoline, liquor and groceries or to eat in the several local restaurants. The cost and hassle of having a COVID test is expected to curtail or eliminate those visits.
Beyond the requirement to be fully vaccinated to travel to the States, Canadians re-entering their country are required to take a so-called “molecular test” for COVID within 72 hours. Such tests can cost around $200 and tend to be available only in larger centres.
There have been calls from both sides of the border for the Canadian government to simplify or drop the testing requirement for vaccinated travellers.
But there is little indication the requirement will end anytime soon. Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair told the CBC on the weekend that such a negative test has “proven to be one of the most effective requirements” for travellers and remains the recommendation of the Public Health Agency of Canada.
“Again, we’re continuing to evaluate it, and we’ll look at the experience in other jurisdictions. But right now, it’s been a very effective protection for Canadians,” Blair said.
Reaction in Oroville is anything but positive.
“They might as well have (left) the border closed,” said Pioneer Foods supermarket owner Pat Davisson. “I can’t see people (complying) … I wouldn’t,” he said.
Davisson said his grocery store, one of two in town, has survived reasonably well since the pandemic began because it tends to be “more of a local store.”
But casual Canadians continue to be an important portion of his business. “I hope that they get this all lined out for next year and we’ll be back to normal for the summer.”
Just up Main Street at Betta Services, the mood is sombre as the long-time Oroville anchor business is closing its doors.
Chris, an employee who prefers not to disclose his last name, said the decision to close came after the recent death of store founder Betta Lidstrand combined with the loss of business from the closed border.
In an interview last summer, Lidstrand estimated business was down about 85%.
Chris said it’s possible the business will reopen some time, but for now, “I don’t have the financial resources to stay open.”
At this point, the attitude in the town is very “wait and see,” he said. “No one is getting excited about the re-opening announcement.” When restrictions are lifted and Canadians return in numbers, “We’ll all shout Hallelujah,” Chris said.
Oroville Chamber of Commerce president Karen Frisbie said: “Oroville is a strong and resilient community (which has) worked hard at keeping things together.”
As for COVID-test requirements being lifted and Canadians coming back to town, “I’ll believe it when I see it. … (but) we are looking forward to having our neighbours back again.”
Frisbie said there have been a number of business closures in the town, mostly the result of deaths or planned retirements. But a number of new businesses have also opened up, she said.
“People will be surprised at what they see when they eventually come back.”
Restaurants have been particularly hard hit with the lack of Canadians on the streets.
Rancho Grande manager Salvador Zuniga estimated business there is down 80% since before the pandemic. “The town looks pretty dead right now,” he said.
The eatery has survived by reducing staff and hours.
“We are just breaking even,” he said.
The first stop for many Canadians crossing into Washington — for a few hours or a few months — is Super Duper Foods, formerly Oroville Texaco.
Long-time employee Daniel Sanchez said he looks forward to seeing the southbound snowbirds next month, after missing them last winter when travel south was restricted.
Sanchez says lack of Canadians stopping in for fuel and groceries has reduced business by as much as 90% and seen staff reduced by half and opening hours by a third.
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
