Aboard Maid of the Mist VII, passengers in blue ponchos appear to fill the top deck and wrap around the lower level as it sails on the American side of Niagara Falls. The passing Canadian-run Hornblower is all but empty with just a handful of people wrapped in red, huddled in pairs near the railing.
Images of the boats cruising past each other below the iconic landmark have caused discussion to swell on social media, with many suggesting the stark contrast in passengers is symbolic of the difference in the Canadian and American approaches to COVID-19.
It’s a contrast Hornblower Niagara Cruises vice-president Mory DiMaurizio said he’s noticed too.
“When you look at what’s happening in Ontario or Canada, there’s clearly a difference,” he said.
“That’s clearly evident in terms of what’s happening with respect to the number of infections and recoveries and deaths proportionate to the population base of our two countries.”
At the famous waterfalls on the U.S.-Canadian border, Canadian ferries are limited to just six passengers per boat, out of a 700-person capacity. But on the U.S. side, the ferries are operating at 50 per cent capacity, according to Maid of the Mist boat tours.
“We actually took a picture of the [American] boat,” said Julie Pronovost, visiting from Quebec with her family on Tuesday. “I don’t find that it’s very safe to be on a boat like that. It’s much better here.”
A spokesperson for the Maid of the Mist did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the company’s website said it was following the guidance of New York State public health officials.
The boats contain markers to keep visitors spaced out, and face coverings are compulsory, among other safety changes, it said.
The tourist hotspot of Niagara Falls has gained a new photo-op for social distancing Canadian visitors on board ferries – Americans on crowded boats <a href=”https://t.co/C68N6QTaJQ”>https://t.co/C68N6QTaJQ</a> <a href=”https://t.co/0sJ0CprQd3″>pic.twitter.com/0sJ0CprQd3</a>
DiMaurizio said his cruise line is also following health precautions, including temperature checks and mandatory masks for everyone on board.
They’re currently able to transport 10 people, but that number also includes four crew members needed to make the trip.
“The visuals are pretty ridiculous. You’ve got this giant vessel with six people on it, but that’s what’s permitted,” he explained.
“Of course, when we look across the way at our competitor, we would love to have the ability to carry 30 per cent or 50 per cent, but to do so in a safe way is equally important, or even more important.”
Slowly turning up the volume
Tourists at the falls on Tuesday said they felt much safer with the six-person per boat limit.
“I’m glad I’m in Canada,” said Amanda Barnes of Brampton, Ont. “You can see why the pandemic is raging in the United States and not in Canada when you look at the difference between the boats.”
Jose Mannucci, Mariah Wilson and Jasmine Demers ride the Canadian tourist boat Hornblower, on Tuesday. (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)
The United States reported 57,777 new COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, compared with Canada’s 786. Since the outbreak began, the U.S. has reported around 118 coronavirus cases per 10,000 residents, while Canada has around 30.
DiMaurizio compared Ontario’s approach to COVID-19 to “turning the volume up slowly.”
The latest increase in volume is set to happen Friday, when Niagara moves into Stage 3 of the province’s reopening plan.
Under those guidelines, Hornblower will be able to boost its number of passengers to 100, DiMaurizio said, but he expects the visual comparison between the two cruise companies will still be stark.
Those 100 people will still be “on a vessel that holds 700 passengers so it’s still going to look really skinny … on that vessel,” he said, pointing out that space leaves ample room for physical distancing.
“It’s still going to look pretty empty. But we’ll take it.”
Demands for government intervention in Air Canada labour talks could negatively affect airline competition in Canada, the CEO of travel company Transat AT Inc. said.
“The extension of such an extraordinary intervention to Air Canada would be an undeniable competitive advantage to the detriment of other Canadian airlines,” Annick Guérard told analysts on an earnings conference call on Thursday.
“The time and urgency is now. It is time to restore healthy competition in Canada,” she added.
Air Canada has asked the federal government to be ready to intervene and request arbitration as early as this weekend to avoid disruptions.
Comments on the potential Air Canada pilot strike or lock out came as Transat reported third-quarter financial results.
Guérard recalled Transat’s labour negotiations with its flight attendants earlier this year, which the company said it handled without asking for government intervention.
The airline’s 2,100 flight attendants voted 99 per cent in favour of a strike mandate and twice rejected tentative deals before approving a new collective agreement in late February.
As the collective agreement for Air Transat pilots ends in June next year, Guérard anticipates similar pressure to increase overall wages as seen in Air Canada’s negotiations, but reckons it will come out “as a win, win, win deal.”
“The pilots are preparing on their side, we are preparing on our side and we’re confident that we’re going to come up with a reasonable deal,” she told analysts when asked about the upcoming negotiations.
The parent company of Air Transat reported it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31. The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.
It attributed reduced revenues to lower airline unit revenues, competition, industry-wide overcapacity and economic uncertainty.
Air Transat is also among the airlines facing challenges related to the recall of Pratt & Whitney turbofan jet engines for inspection and repair.
The recall has so far grounded six aircraft, Guérard said on the call.
“We have agreed to financial compensation for grounded aircraft during the 2023-2024 period,” she said. “Alongside this financial compensation, Pratt & Whitney will provide us with two additional spare engines, which we intend to monetize through a sell and lease back transaction.”
Looking ahead, the CEO said she expects consumer demand to remain somewhat uncertain amid high interest rates.
“We are currently seeing ongoing pricing pressure extending into the winter season,” she added. Air Transat is not planning on adding additional aircraft next year but anticipates stability.
“(2025) for us will be much more stable than 2024 in terms of fleet movements and operation, and this will definitely have a positive effect on cost and customer satisfaction as well,” the CEO told analysts.
“We are more and more moving away from all the disruption that we had to go through early in 2024,” she added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
