Despite the Canada-U.S. land border closure to non-essential traffic, Canadian snowbirds Bernard Loiselle and Sylvie Charbonneau are on their way to Florida — in their RV.
“Finally, we’re going,” said Loiselle, 57, from a road stop near Albany, N.Y. “The weather in Quebec was getting cold.”
The couple from Marieville, Que., southeast of Montreal, live in their RV year-round and spend the winter in Florida. This year, however, they faced a problem because they can’t drive their mobile home across the United States border during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But that problem was solved when they learned of a new service offered by KMC Transport.
The Quebec company flies snowbirds on a chartered plane from an airport just outside Montreal to nearby Plattsburgh, N.Y. KMC employees also drive the snowbirds’ vehicles to the Plattsburgh airport so, after landing, the passengers can continue their journey down south.
“It was great to — from the plane — see our RV down there, just waiting for us,” said Loiselle.
Loiselle and Charbonneau on Thursday, just before they boarded their flight from Montreal Saint-Hubert Longueuil Airport to nearby Plattsburgh, N.Y., to begin their migration south. (submitted by Sylvie Charbonneau)
Despite soaring COVID-19 infection rates in the U.S. and Canada’s advisory not to travel abroad, many snowbirds are determined to head south this winter.
Although Canadians can’t drive to the U.S. due to the land border closure, they can fly to the country. But that still creates a problem for snowbirds who want to take their vehicles down south.
In response, several transport companies have come up with new ways to help snowbirds — and their cars — cross the border.
KMC ships vehicles to the U.S. sunbelt for snowbirds. But the fee can be prohibitive to transport an RV — around $4,300.
So owner and president Michael Couturier devised a cheaper option: starting in late October, he arranged charter flights for snowbirds to Plattsburgh, plus transport service for their vehicles.
Customers pay $500 per seat on the plane and $1,000 for the vehicle transport. As a commercial transport company, KMC can bring vehicles into the U.S., despite the border restrictions, Couturier said.
“Every commercial transaction at the border is considered essential,” he said. “We’ve got to have all the paperwork, and then we are allowed to do it.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed to CBC News that there are no restrictions on Canadians importing vehicles to the United States during the land border closure.
Warning to snowbirds
KMC flies to Plattsburgh twice each weekday. Couturier said the nine-seater plane is always full.
The added business has been a big boost for the company, which normally focuses on transporting RVs to dealers.
That side of the business has slowed during the pandemic, said Couturier, but catering to snowbirds has allowed him to keep all his 35 workers employed.
“If it wasn’t for snowbirds, the company would be in trouble this year,” he said. “It’s a good opportunity for us.”
WATCH: Canada’s prime minister urges vigilance as cases spike:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned to the steps of Rideau Cottage where he made an impassioned plea to Canadians to slow the spread of the COVID virus. 2:25
Meanwhile, the federal government continues to warn Canadians to avoid international travel during the pandemic.
“People are safest when they stay at home,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a news conference on Tuesday.
However, the message hasn’t deterred eager snowbirds. Some argue they will be safe, because they have COVID-19 medical insurance and plan to stick to their gated community at their destination.
“[You] just do your groceries, you go back to your RV and you have your supper there and that’s it,” said Loiselle.
Helicopter rides for snowbirds
Jeremy Rood’s parents were still keen to go to Florida this winter, but wanted to take both their car and their Labrador, Abby. So the helicopter pilot came up with a solution that his employer, Great Lakes Helicopter in Cambridge, Ont., has turned into a business.
The company picks up snowbirds at the Hamilton, Ont. airport and helicopters them just across the border to Buffalo, N.Y. Then, Rood’s friend — who runs a transport company — transports the passengers’ vehicles, typically on a flatbed truck, to the Buffalo airport.
“My parents wanted to get to Florida for the winter and I said, ‘No problem, I’ll make sure you guys get down there,'” said Rood. “We put our heads together and ended up with this little thing that we’re doing here.”
Pilot Jeremy Rood flew his mother, Diane, his father and their dog from Hamilton to Buffalo. He also transported their car, so the snowbird couple could have their vehicle with them during their winter in Florida. (submitted by Jeremy Rood)
Since starting the service in late October, Great Lakes Helicopter has flown 30 passengers and has hundreds more bookings. The cost for a couple to fly in their own private helicopter and transport their car is $1,900. Pets are welcome onboard.
Rood said he’s not surprised by the brisk business, despite the pandemic.
“We have long, cold winters here,” he said. “You’re not able to get outside, stay fit, stay active.”
Serving snowbirds due to popular demand
On the West Coast, the winters may not be as cold, but many snowbirds there still want to head south — and take their cars.
That created an opportunity for Bidbuy Importers based in Blaine, Wash. The company traditionally imports vehicles to private buyers and dealers.
But this year it has branched out to also transport snowbirds’ vehicles from the Vancouver area to U.S. sunbelt states or to closer destinations, such as the Seattle airport.
Jayde McElroy, vice-president of marketing and sales with Bidbuy Importers, is also helping snowbirds on the West Coast travel south. The service costs from $500 to upwards of $3,000. (submitted by Jayde McElroy)
Jayde McElroy, Bidbuy’s vice-president of marketing and sales, said the company took on snowbird clients due to popular demand.
“When the border shut down, we received so many inquiries from snowbirds that were wondering if we could help them out,” he said. “At first, we didn’t know because it is not something we’ve done.”
So far, Bidbuy has transported 40 cars. The company has about 100 more booked over the next couple of months. Costs range from around $500 to upwards of $3,000, depending on the type of vehicle and the distance it’s travelling.
When asked about helping snowbirds go south during the pandemic, McElroy said he’s happy to help them escape winter.
“You never know how long this is gonna go on for. You got to enjoy your life.”
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.
