B.C. and P.E.I. Announce Travel Restrictions as Canadian Tourism Slows to a Crawl

April 19, 2021 Jim Byers

Last Friday it was Ontario that slapped travel restrictions on its provincial borders. Today, both Prince Edward Island and British Columbia said they’re also limiting travel.

There was hope in the industry that April and May might see a bit of a turnaround for Canadian tourism, but that’s clearly a pipe dream. Late May or probably June is looking like the first month that things might get moving, which could at least mean a decent summer for a travel and tourism industry that’s been shaken to its core.

British Columbia

B.C. Premier John Horgan announced Monday that travel restrictions will be put into place across the province on Friday.

“Dr. Henry has been saying for months and months and months, stay in your territory, stay in your community,” Horgan said. “This is not the time to load up the Winnebago and travel around British Columbia.”

According to Global News, Horgan said the province has been working with the tourism industry to “limit bookings” from people outside of a particular area.

“Non-essential travel should be confined to local travel only,” he said.

Global said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth on Friday will issue orders under the Emergency Program Act to restrict people’s ability to leave their regional health authority.

“This will be conducted through random audits, not unlike roadside checks … during the Christmas season,” Horgan explained.

“They will be susceptible to all travellers, not just some travellers, and again they will be random and there will be a fine if you are travelling outside your area without a legitimate reason.”

Horgan said the province will post signs at the Alberta border to remind anyone thinking of coming into B.C. that trips should only be for essential travel.

Prince Edward Island

Seasonal residents from outside Atlantic Canada will not be allowed to travel to P.E.I. until at least May 17, even if they had already been granted approval to enter the province, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said on Monday.

The CBC reports that Morrison made the announcement as she outlined stricter new border measures to limit the importation and spread of COVID-19, and confirmed three new cases of the virus on the island.

“We need to buy more time,” Morrison said.

For the next four weeks, she said, the province is pausing non-resident travel to the province from outside Atlantic Canada. 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford last Friday announced that the provincial border was being closed to all but essential traffic coming over from Quebec and Manitoba.

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