Moshe Lander, an economist told the CBC “As long as Canadians don’t feel safe, then why force open that border when there’s no strong political logic to doing it?”
Moshe Lander, a professor and economist at Montreal's Concordia University told the CBC "As long as Canadians don't feel safe, then why force open that border when there's no strong political logic to doing it?" He reckons that the border may reopen in the middle or late part of next year, only if the virus is under control.
Last month US members of Congress sent Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Bill Blair, an open letter that called for a system of phased reopening for ports of entry between Canada and the US. The US Congress also asked Minister Blair to dull the current measures Canada has in place.
It appears that the Trudeau government is in no mood to shift on the border issue, however. Katherine Cuplinskas, spokesperson for Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland, told CTV News, "Decisions about Canada's border are made by Canadians, for Canadians."
After closing the Canada-US land border on March 21 to non-essential travel, the Trudeau government announced that the border would stay closed until August 21. Canada's rules prohibit US citizens from visiting through all ports of entry for non-essential reasons.
It's clear the economic toll is devastating on both sides of the border, especially in Canadian tourism hubs. The Bank of Canada says "The initial impact of the pandemic was greatest in the travel, entertainment and food service sectors."
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