There’s Hope For Opening the Border as Vaccinations Increase: New Brunswick Premier
April 7, 2021 Jim Byers
Increasing vaccinations in the U.S. and the potential for surplus American vaccines to be shipped to Canada are good signs for opening the border, says the premier of New Brunswick.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a virtual chat with Canada’s provincial and territorial leaders on Wednesday night, and New Brunswick leader Blaine Higgs said there were some positive signs.
Asked by the CBC whether Trudeau wants the border to open, Higgs said all political leaders in Canada – as well as U.S. President Joe Biden – are in favour of that.
Higgs said the desire by American politicians for an open border could be used by Canada as leverage to get surplus U.S. vaccines, including some from Pfizer.
Opening the border, he said, “depends on getting the same level of vaccinations, and the U.S. appears to have Pfizer vaccines that are surplus.”
Higgs said he’d “like to think” the U.S. would be willing to share those with its most important trading partner and long-time ally.
“I think we would be first on the list for additional supply,” he told CBC television.
Higgs also said Trudeau suggested that this is a possible scenario.
Asked if he thinks that might mean better times for Canadian tourism operators, Higgs replied Canada’s travel sector might see an “almost normal” summer.
“There should be hope,” he said.
Asked on Tuesday if he’s in favour of opening the border with the U.S., which was closed to all but essential traffic in March of 2020, Trudeau replied, “We’re not there yet.”
Click here for Canadian Travel News’ Editor in Chief Jim Byers’ take on the border situation from a story filed Wednesday morning.
About the Author
