Jim Byers' Blog: Atlantic Bubble Delayed Until May and B.C. Talking Travel Restrictions

Jim Byers’ Blog: Atlantic Bubble Delayed Until May and B.C. Talking Travel Restrictions

April 14, 2021 Jim Byers

Maybe this is the dark before the dawn, but it’s hard to feel encouraged about the state of travel in Canada this morning.

The Atlantic travel bubble that was to take effect April 19 has been put off until May 3 (at least) due to COVID-19 concerns in the Maritime provinces. Meanwhile, B.C. Premier John Horgan is threatening to unveil travel restrictions for British Columbia tomorrow, something Ontario Premier Doug Ford pleaded for in a TV talk on Monday.

WestJet on Tuesday announced that it’s extending its suspension of flights to sun destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean from April 30 to June 4. I don’t know about you, but that sounds a tad ominous and makes me wonder what they know that they’re not telling us (not that I blame them).

Air Canada today (Wednesday said they’re suspending their flights to those same destinations through the end of May.

On top of all that, the Rocky Mountaineer train company today said it’s delaying its Canadian trips until July 5.

As for the Atlantic Bubble, it’s a shame they can’t get started earlier. But the vast majority of tourism dollars in the region are spent in the summer months, so I don’t expect a short delay (if that’s all it is) will cause a huge problem. Inconvenient for families/friends, most definitely. But likely not a big tourism impact.

“Given the recent surge in cases of COVID-19 in parts of Atlantic Canada and the emergence of more transmissible forms of the virus, the Council of Atlantic Premiers has agreed to delay the reopening of the Atlantic bubble,” the council said in a statement on their website.

The so-called Atlantic Bubble first surfaced last July and allowed residents of Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick and Newfoundland & Labrador to travel freely within those four provinces without the need to quarantine. Other parts of Canada were not granted the same privilege, which was petty smart given the virus numbers in other provinces.

The bubble was suspended on November 26, 2020, due to a second wave of COVID-19 cases across Canada.

As for British Columbia, The Victoria Times Colonist today reports that further COVID-19 restrictions may be on the way, with Premier Horgan suggesting changes could be announced tomorrow (Thursday, April 15).

“Premier John Horgan said Tuesday he expected the provincial cabinet will consider travel restrictions and those talks will also likely examine the status of visitor bookings for hotels, bed and breakfasts and campsites,” The Times Colonist said.

B.C. imposed restrictions last month that shut down the resort community of Whistler and halted indoor dining at restaurants and pubs across the province in a three-week “circuit breaker” to slow the spread of COVID-19 variants of concern.

The British Columbia cabinet is meeting today.