For so long I was pinning the U.S. border being closed on President Joe Biden. Then, without much warning or fanfare, he opened the land crossing - with no restrictions - as of Nov. 8. Now it’s up to us [Canada] to drop the strict testing requirement to come back to Canada for those fully vaccinate, so we can really get back to normal.
Snowbirds no longer need to ship their car across the border and take a short flight to meet up with it. I was speaking with one person who ended up spending more than $1,000 just to have his car available to him in Bellingham to drive south. Seemed a bit ridiculous, fully vaccinated and all.
I had been waiting a long time to head south. I had something urgent I needed to take care of, and couldn’t wait until Nov. 8, so I booked a flight and my wife I headed out. That was an adventure itself.
First up was an Antigen test 72 hours before the flight. Result – negative. Whew.
Then be at the airport three hours before the flight. No big deal, the airport is a nice place to hang out. Except our flight was at 7 a.m.
Once we were in Phoenix, it was like a different world. Hardly a mask to be seen. Most employees wore them, but for the most part, it was back to normal down there.
Coming back was a worry, getting tested – the more detailed PCR test is required to come back to Canada – was much easier. We went to a drive-thru pharmacy, performed the test ourselves and were emailed the results. Not the nicest way to spend a Sunday morning, but could have been worse.
While I was a bit uncomfortable without everyone wearing masks, there was one incident when I was glad. Standing in line at a grocery store, I overheard someone saying, ‘Please.’ I turned to see a fellow, mid-thirties, speaking with an older gentleman wearing a Second World War veteran cap. He insisted on paying for the veteran’s groceries, and thanked him for his service.
A bit overwhelmed, and to stop making a scene, the vet stopped saying no and allowed the man to leave a $100 bill in his grocery cart. The man also waited to make sure all the groceries were covered. It was a powerful moment, something I’ll never forget, especially as we recognize our own veterans next week.
COVID is with us for a long time, we need to manage it. Not allowing fully vaccinated people to travel freely rewards those who don’t get the shot.
It’s time to make our border free again, both ways. Isn’t that what our veterans fought for?
Brad Sherwin, MBA is a long-time resident of South Delta, and has over 30 years’ experience in marketing, public relations and business strategy. He teaches at BCIT, coaches’ hockey goalies and is Past President of Deltassist.
