Private ferry services plying the coastline between B.C. and Washington State were excluded from Mondaysa国际传媒檚 border re-openings, a situation that has left them frustrated and in economic limbo.
On Aug. 9, the Canada Border Services Agency announced that fully-vaccinated residents of the United States could pass through the countrysa国际传媒檚 land borders for the first time in 16 months. The decision also means American pleasure watercraft are also now permitted to arrive in Canada, but it is unclear when passenger ferries will be allowed to make trips between U.S. and Canadian ports, said Destination Greater Victoria CEO Paul Nursey.
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sa国际传媒淭his is devastating news and it cansa国际传媒檛 be underscored,sa国际传媒� he said, calling the lack of details on the resumption of international ferry traffic sa国际传媒渢he height of incompetence by the federal government.sa国际传媒�
According to Destination Greater Victoria figures, Clipper Vacations ships and the MV Coho ferry from Washington State account for 750,000 visitors to Victoria annually and as many as 1,400 hotel night bookings in a month. In 2017, spending from international visitors arriving through Victoriasa国际传媒檚 Belleville Terminal totalled $100.5 million.
sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e busy now with Canadian travellers, but in a matter of weeks when Canadians go back to school, our demandsa国际传媒檚 going to fall off a cliff,sa国际传媒� Nursey said.
Destination Greater Victoria is considering a class action suit against the Canadian government for damages sustained to its hotel and tourist attraction members, he added.
Ryan Burles, co-owner of the Black Ball Ferry Line which operates of the Coho, said the nearly 65-year-old vessel has sailed every six weeks to keep it seaworthy without customer revenue. Whatsa国际传媒檚 more, he said, several First Nations rely on the convenience of the ferry to maintain family ties between Washington and B.C.
Dr. Mel Krajden is medical director of the BC Centre for Disease Control and was a member of the Minister of Healthsa国际传媒檚 COVID-19 Testing and Screening Advisory Panel, whose three reports contained recommendations for the reopening of Canadasa国际传媒檚 land and air borders.
Opening land borders to fully vaccinated U.S. travellers was an sa国际传媒渆normous step forward and a complicated one,sa国际传媒� he said.
Considering small number of international ferry travellers relative to those in automobile or aircraft, Krajden said, Canada prioritized where they could safely screen the influx of U.S. arrivals for negative COVID tests and full vaccinations, while allowing necessary delays in customs processing. sa国际传媒�(International ferry travel) wasnsa国际传媒檛 a discussion point on the panel,sa国际传媒� he said.
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The full renewal of Black Ball Ferry Linesa国际传媒檚 services would require less restrictions than are in place in both the U.S. and Canada, Burles said. Thirty per cent of their traffic revenue is made from Canadian departures, which the U.S. has yet to allow. Additionally, Burles said he cansa国际传媒檛 imagine U.S. travellers spending $132 for a COVID-19 test to take the MV Coho for a one-to-two night trip to Canada.
sa国际传媒淲e would just like to see some sort of plan,sa国际传媒� he said.
sa国际传媒� With files from The Canadian Press
