Jun 12, 2020
I guess rules are made to be broken
Many of you may have read in the news today about how Americans are managing to get into Canada despite the border between the US and Canada being closed officially until June 21st and likely another month after that. Here is the link to that complete story.
A waiter in beautiful Banff, Alberta was taking an order and asked the people where they were from. He was surprised when they answered Texas. Of course he asked how they got into Canada and they explained that they had found a loophole. Just as we Canadians returning home from Mexico were allowed to transit the US back home to Canada, these Americans claimed that they were simply transiting Canada on their way to Alaska. The same thing happened with another family from Seattle. Neither of these families were heading to Alaska but had come to Canada for a vacation 😯
Our first Mazatlan like sunset taken June 10th by Colin with his camera. The colours are spot on as opposed to the photos taken with my camera.
The explanation given by the border agents.
No photoshop nor highlighting at all.
So now Americans are vacationing in Canada without having to do the imperative 14 day quarantine. This particular family was not wearing masks nor using sanitizer. Might I add that at the moment Texas ( as is Washington State ) is seeing a dramatic spike in Covid cases since they opened up the state. So these visitors are walking around Banff and wherever else they travel to, possibly infecting others. This is not acceptable but what can we do? Possibly call the various Covid help lines and complain 😥 If by chance an American is returning home to Alaska should they not have check in stops throughout Canada as they travel north? If they miss a checkpoint then they should be required to do the mandatory 14 day quarantine.
When we Canadians come back into our country, whether by air or by vehicle, we have to fill out a form with our quarantine plan for 14 days, including name, address and phone contact information. and a very specific plan. The reason for that is so that checks can be done to make sure that we are actually following the rules.
This is what is required by a Canadian returning to Canada. I say Canadian because at the moment no foreigner is supposed to be allowed into Canada unless for essential service reasons such as a trucker delivering food or medical staff.
However my story gets worse. Apparently rules are being broken by Canadian border agents at airports as well. I have a friend who was stuck in Sweden for an extra ten weeks, until a few days ago. She was caught by the Covid-19 situation and closed borders and flights being cancelled, etc. She finally was able to take a train to a different country and boarded a plane ( that finally started to fly ) to another country and finally landed in Toronto last Monday. She had her temperature taken along to way to make sure she was healthy and she wore her mask. She even had her self isolation form filled out with all the details, down to who would pick up her garbage. Turns out that not once but twice she was waived through and was told that the paperwork was not necessary. So no one took note of where she has come from, which flights, nor how she was getting to her actual home and what her isolation plan was. They did not know that she still had two more flights to take to get home including a 17 hour stop at one airport before she could make that final connection. She did nothing wrong. It was the Canadian agents processing a flight of people entering Canada who waived her through and did not follow through with the rules as laid out by our government. No worries, she and her hubby (who picked her up at the airport ) are following their end of the rules and and are both self isolating.
Two wrongs within a few days by border agents. Will our numbers start to rise again? So many of us have been staying home and following the rules for almost three months now. What happens next? Fortunately for my friend, as she was in Sweden, she got to go out to restaurants and wander around. Of course she now has 14 days at home. Who were the others on her flight, where did they come from and where were they going? There is no way to contact anyone from those flights if someone was indeed infected.
Thank goodness for Mother Nature.
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Wow those are stunning sunset photos!
Thank you. Hopefully you saw that sunset from your location.
Canadian can still travel to the US by plane. Only the land border crossings would send you back. This was on the CBC site yesterday. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/u-s-travel-restrictions-covid-19-land-border-fly-1.5607741
Thank for this link Peter, I had no idea. I still don’t get that it is one way out of Canada but good for those that need to get into the US. Of course they can always get back into Canada. I felt so bad for that family last week the tried to get into Canada, first by air and secondly by land. They have a home here in Canada but the husband was an American and was not allowed into Canada. He is back in the US. Fortunately our government is now looking into reuniting these types of families. I have to say that I am surprised that Americans do not need to quarantine unless they are returning form certain countries. Both Mexico and Canada are exempt.
Some of the restrictions do not make sense to me and we have to learn to live with this Corona virus for some time. Keeping everyone and everything locked up destroys the economy and many livelihoods. The key is to protect oneself as good as can be. But that is my opinion.
Beautiful sunsets you have and a fantastic view!
I agree with you Marlene. I can only control MY actions and I wear a mask and only go for food once a week. I do enjoy the outside and go places not crowded by others. Stay safe!
Good for you Gail. Here where we live I see so many bucking the rules such as social distancing. That is their choice and there is noting I can do about it. All I can do is do what is correct for me.
I am not sure which restrictions you are referring to Marlene. I can’t see how 14 days of quarantine is going to affect our economy, it is for the health of the nation. I don’t mind if Americans want to travel to Alaska but they need to follow the rules that are in place. When we crossed back into Canada, we had to swear that we would not leave the RV nor stop for fuel or food. I’m sure that you both as well had to do your 14 day quarantine. After that yes, we are free to do as we wish and it is up to us to protect ourselves.
This frosts me – but I did see an article afterward that the RCMP and Christa Freeland is pushing for an investigation. Likely every out of Province license plate will soon be investigated. There is an Alberta plate across the street but I think possible one of my neighbors relatives has moved here because she has been here for 4 weeks now. Those Texans will be lucky to pass through without getting their tires sliced (I wouldn’t but many would)
Ahh that investigation will be interesting. Folks around here were pretty upset with Alberta plates but it seems to have calmed a bit. We do have several Albertans that have a second homes here in the park, such as where the renter lives beside us.No idea if they will come or not.Somehow I doubt it.On our other side, Albertans just purchased the property on June 4th. OF course they have Alberta plates but soon others will figure that there are newly arrived.
If these people are really going to Alaska, that causes me great concern……they have to drive through Dawson Creek BC which is mile zero of the Alaskan Highway. My daughter and her family live there.
Sorry to hear that about your family. However based on what I have read there are already several ( bust less than the normal at this time of year ) Americans already driving through. All your family can do is be safe and protect themselves.
We have canceled our trip to Alaska until next year now. Even if they did allow “pass through to Alaska” I don’t think that would make a difference to us. Half of the enjoyment of the trip is enjoying the nature and outdoors in B.C. and Yukon. Hopefully things will be open next season.
I have been thinking about you and wondering what you were going to do. I have to agree with you, what is the point of doing this magnificent trip if your can’t stop to smell the roses and enjoy nature. Who wants to be wearing a mask every stop of the way? Also so many of the sites you might want to see including museums may remain closed. You and Barb are so good at creating adventures, that is what you will have to continue to do. Or perhaps go back and work on your wonderful new home. I truly believe that you made a good decision. It will all be there waiting for you next year.I actually know of a few other Americans ( and bloggers ) who had the same plan.
Hi…love the sunset pictures. I too have seen on the news about the Texans in Baniff, and this just really pisses me off!! If they are going to Alaska they should fly or take a boat…no entrance into Canada!! You and many of my friends who where travelling had to isolate for 14 days for their health but the health of their fellow Canadians. Now this, what was it all for then? However, I will still follow the rules (which I truly believe are the best) and make the best of this new world. Thank you for your post and I hope it makes others think of their actions to all of us who are trying our best.
Thanks, those were very special sunset pictures considering we were here and not in Mexico. I do agree that anyone entering Canada, no matter how they arrive, should be made to quarantine for 14 days. The National Hockey League is working on coming to Canada soon to finish off the last NHL season. Each team and their families, etc, will need to stay in a different hotel and to social distance from others. They also need to do their 14 day quarantine. They will be playing with no one in the stands. Canada’s Covid numbers as opposed to the US are very low, especially here in BC and we want to keep it that way. Europe is being very rigid in keeping their borders closed and good for them. Right now New Zealand has no Covid cases at all and intend to keep it that way by maintaining a 14 day quarantine for any allowed arrivals. We all have to do what we have to do to stay safe.