U.S. border reopening brings normal one step closer for Estevan residents, businesses
CBC
Estevan, Sask., residents are relieved to hear that the United States will finally be allowing Canadians to travel by land and ferry into the country, about three months after Canada opened its borders.
Senior U.S. officials announced Tuesday night that fully vaccinated Canadians would be able travel into the United States at land and ferry border crossings beginning in early November, although an exact date is still in the works.
Canada opened its borders to United States citizens on Aug. 9 after the divide between the two countries was closed to non-essential travel early into the COVID-19 pandemic.
Estevan mayor Roy Ludwig said he's excited about the opportunity for residents to go south and see friends and family, and doesn't see any downsides to the decision.
"With us being a border community, we're very happy because we do have traffic back and forth," he said. "For myself, our son works in Texas so it will give us the opportunity now to go down and see him."
Ludwig said he had heard anecdotes of people having to fly to do that previously, which caused some complicated and expensive workarounds.
While land and ferry border crossings are expected to open in the next month, residents have been able to fly into the U.S. for non-essential travel since the pandemic began.