'Just devastating': Canada-U.S. marine border remains closed to Victoria tourism ferries
After 17 months of being shut to non-essential travel, Canada has reopened its borders to allow fully vaccinated American tourists to come for a vacation. But don’t expect a flood of American tourists to descend on Vancouver Island right away.
Victoria’s airport isn't one of the nine in Canada allowed to have international flights arrive. And although the border opened Monday, the opening doesn’t include ferries — meaning the Coho and Clipper are left out.
The news was described as disheartening by David Gudgel, the CEO of the Clipper, the ferry that brings people back and forth from Seattle and Victoria.
“Dismayed is one of the things I’m feeling,” said Gudgel on Monday. “Not to provide any sort of pathway forward as to when we might expect an opening is just devastating.”
The idea of allowing planes full of Americans to arrive in Canada at airports like Vancouver’s, but not a boatload of vacationers to Vancouver Island, is unfair says Paul Nursey with Destination Greater Victoria.
“We feel we should all be treated the same as the rest of Canada,” said Nursey, expressing frustration on Monday over the discrepancy.
Also frustrating for the ferry operators and local tourism industry is that Canada Border Services Agency officials aren't able to say why exactly the borders aren’t open to international ferries.
Jackie Tse, a spokesperson with the CBSA, said Monday that the issue of the marine border is being monitored closely, and there could be multiple reasons why it’s not open.
“[We’re] constantly reviewing it and informing our stakeholders in the industry, should those changes come about,” said Tse.
Meanwhile, the Americans have not opened their land border to Canadians yet. The earliest that could happen is Aug. 21.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.