New York State ready for Canadian travellers on Nov. 8 according to tourism council
Businesses in upstate New York are ready for Canadian travellers once the land border reopens on Nov. 8, according to the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council.
"Welcome back everybody very soon to the United States. It's exciting. For us, it's long overdue," said director of tourism for the council Corey Fram, over a Zoom call with CTV News Ottawa.
"Here in the 1000 Islands region, prohibiting people from crossing the border is really breaking up families, it's keeping people from being at their properties, it's keeping them from getting to their favourite restaurants and shops," Fram said. "For us, this loosening of the regulation, it's just another step towards normalcy in this whole world that we've all been in."
Fram said he expects to see a spike in southbound traffic that will last a couple of days, as Canadians with a vested interest head to the U.S.
"They may have family south of the border, they may have property that they need to see, and then after that it will taper off and numbers will be higher than what they were the year before," Fram said.
He noted that northbound passenger traffic across the Thousand Islands Bridge in Ivy Lea is up approximately 30 per cent month-to-month compared to 2020. The Canadian border opened up to American travellers in August.
Fram said discussions to open up the American side have been a top priority along the Seaway for months.
"Right to the White House those conversations have been happening. We've had businesses that have been reaching out not only to local officials to do something, but state officials and federal officials," Fram said.
"I talked to one of our federal representatives, everybody is in a good mood on this topic for the moment, but we also recognize that this is the first significant step. This isn't where we want to stay, but most of us understand that this is going to be a progression and this is a step that was surely needed and overdue."
Fram thinks the added documentation needed for cross-border travel, especially for Canadians heading back to Canada, will not be a deterrent.
"There are going to be some hoops to jump through, and those are doable," he said. "We've all changed over the last two years, so having to provide a proof of vaccination or a digital proof as you folks are up north, that's something people have gotten used to.
"I have travelled; it's doable. You just have to have that incentive to go and that's why I think those first people you'll see crossing are family related reasons, property related reasons, and you'll see some recreation mixed in."
Fram thinks once people start to hear from friends and family that it is not hard to cross for recreational purposes or to see family, more people will have the incentive to do it.
Northern New York saw a rebound for leisure travel in the summer months, Fram says, saying it was a good summer for many properties, but others suffered, as they rely on Canadian business.
"You think of places such as the Boldt Castle, which would normally have daily stops by Canadian visitors. Their numbers were just not where they were in previous years," said Fram.
"Similar related for fuel sales, we don't have all those extra gas taxes, fuel sales have been down for two summers now at our marinas, so that won't have much of an impact now, with the border reopening in November, but those businesses can start to set themselves up to welcome Canadians back in 2022."
Fram thinks the initial economic impact come November will be in retail and lodging, with Canadians looking to scratch that shopping itch.
"The one thing about this that does line up nicely is this is getting us right around the time of the holiday shopping season, so that does allow for Canadians to come south of the border to a place like northern New York, get their shopping done, dodge some of those extra excess taxes, and be here for a few days before they head back up north," Fram said.
"More importantly, gatherings can happen now," said Fram. "Somebody who's living in Canada can come and visit family that they haven't been able to do now for quite a while. If you're somebody who lives in Canada, in Ontario, and you haven't been south of the border for almost two years now, to be able to come down, visit family, do some shopping, stay in a hotel for a few days, that's a relief, even if it's just 'over the border' as we like to say, just next door."
While he thinks the U.S. border should have opened up for Canadians back in August, he is happy the first step has finally been taken.
"The will has been there, we just finally now have the way," he said. "We've got to take this first step so we can continue to walk and eventually get back up and running to before this pandemic started, so it's a good first step. By happening in November, this is going to allow our border guards and our comer folks to get used to this and we can ramp this up. This isn't like opening the flood gates on Canada Day, or Independence Day weekend. This gives us a little bit of time.
"Our goal every day is how do we responsibly invite people into a community?" he added. "That's one thing we've always tried to grapple with this pandemic is how do you responsibly bring people in?
The 1000 Islands International Tourism Council acts as the regional promotion agency for the Thousand Islands Seaway region, Jefferson County and southeastern Ontario.
Its offices are located in Collins Bay, N.Y., at the foot of the Thousand Islands Bridge.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca