VANCOUVER, CANADA– A misty fog surrounds the city, encapsulating it, trapping the fresh mountain air from British Columbia’s dense forests. As fall approaches, the landscape has been engulfed by rain, spreading an icy shiver across the province. Canadian border officers seek shelter at the desolate Washington, British Columbia border. The once packed lsanes, where cars would line up for miles have been reduced to short pit stops. These days it’s more often to see cars turned away than to have access to Canada’s lands.
The U.S is facing 7 million COVID-19 cases, compared to 148 thousand in Canada. Wanting to protect their citizens from the rapid spread of the virus, the Canadian Government closed its borders to American’s on March 21st.
For some Americans the border closure was controversial, if not problematic. For Canadians, the decision had seemingly unanimous support, citing it as one of the major reasons Canada has done so well combating the virus, compared to the United States. A September 8th poll by research Co. found that out of 1,000 Canadians surveyed, 90 percent agreed that the Canada-U.S border should remain closed to nonessential travel.
For non-Canadian citizens the issue remained more complicated. With no on-ground method of transportation between Alaska and the rest of the U.S, many Americans were stuck. In order to prevent this, the Canadian Government granted an exception. This “Alaska loophole” allowed Americans to pass through Canada if they were heading to or from Alaska for an essential purpose, such as heading home or to work.
According to the Canadian Government, if a non-Canadian citizen is passing through Canada, they may not stop for anything besides necessities, such as lodging and food. If a violation occurs, a fine of $1,500 will be placed in addition to immediate deportation. Despite the risks, this “Alaska loophole” has led to many Americans slipping through the border, hoping to vacation in Canada.
The Canadian Government implemented new restrictions on the “Alaska loophole” in response to this issue. As of July, foreigners wishing to enter the border must be approved at one of five border crossings: North Portal in Saskatchewan, Coutts in Alberta, Abbotsford-Huntington, Kingsgate, or Osoyoos in British Columbia. Once admitted, individuals must take the most direct route to Alaska, while displaying hangtags outside of their vehicles. When they have reached the Alaskan border, they must report to Canadian border officers where their tags will be verified.
Anyone who provides false information or fails to comply could be banned from returning to Canada and may be fined $750,000 in addition to jail time of up to six months.
Testing this in late August was Kentucky native John Pennington. Crossing the border to experience Alberta’s Lake Louise, Pennington was caught lying to border officials and was initially ticketed $910. Breaking regulations a second time, Pennington is now facing possible jail time or a fine of $569,000.
Perhaps no Canadian location has had to overcome tourists more than Lake Louise and Banff. With magnificent mountains surrounding the famous Lake Louise, the park is a hotspot for tourism. From June 17th to August 25th, local officers received 243 complaints regarding U.S plates spotted in the Alberta province.
As of now, in addition to a mandated 14-day quarantine to new arrivals, only those with Canadian citizenship, permanent residency, or those on a student, or work visa are legally permitted to enter the country. To several Canadians, combating the spread of the virus has become an issue of national security and many citizens are prepared for a long-term closure of the U.S border.
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