Canada may reopen to Maine, US by mid-August, Trudeau says
File Photo / Laurie Schreiber
In the background, Mulholland Point Light on Campobello Island, in New Brunswick, Canada, is practically just a stone’s throw from downtown Lubec. Canada might open to the U.S. in mid-August.
Fully vaccinated U.S. citizens may be able to resume trips to Canada as of mid-August for nonessential travel, if discussions on reopening plans between the two nations go well.
In a call last week between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada’s provincial and territorial premiers, the ministers expressed their support of reopening plans for fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents, according to a news release.
The ministers also agreed on the importance of ensuring clarity and predictability as initial steps are taken, and discussed the importance of working collaboratively on a proof of vaccination credential.
The plan is part of ongoing discussions between the two countries regarding their shared response to the pandemic.
Canada is also prioritizing work to implement a system that would enable Canadians to travel internationally with confidence.
The development comes as Canada’s case numbers and severe illness decline across the country as vaccination rates increase.
Canada leads G20 countries in vaccination rates with approximately 80% of eligible Canadians vaccinated with their first dose and over 50% fully vaccinated.
In the U.S., 56% of the total population has received one dose and 48.6% is fully vaccinated, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
In the call, Trudeau noted the ongoing risk of localized outbreaks and the threat posed by variants of concern.
But he noted that, if the current positive path of vaccination rate and public health conditions continue, Canada would be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September.
In June, a group of Maine lawmakers said in a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that, since the land border between the United States and Canada was closed on March 21, 2020, families have been divided, tourists unable to explore both nations, and business has been encumbered.
The group called for the U.S.-Canada border to be fully reopened.
Canadian statistics show that tourists from that country spend an average $19 billion on average in the United States every year. In Maine, Canadians spent $290 million during 2017, according to the most recent data available from the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service. Nearly 300 Canadian-owned businesses employ 17,000 New Englanders.
In March 2020, when the pandemic first hit Maine, the number of people coming from Canada to Maine by car fell 42%.
It’s expected that allowing vaccinated tourists to travel between the two countries will spur job creation on both sides of the border and keep both economies on the path to recovery.
Maine’s border ports, like Houlton, have seen Canadian trade evaporate since border restrictions were implemented.
Houlton, Maine’s largest border port, is at the end of Interstate 95 and the start of the Canadian highway system and typically fields visitors from Canadian towns just a quick drive away who travel to Houlton for a day of shopping and visiting.
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