By Garry Douglas
In the words of Peaches and Herb, “Reunited and it feels so good!”
That’s how we have felt since April 1st when, instead of April Fool’s Day, we enjoyed REUNION DAY for Canadians and Americans generally kept in separation from one another since March 21, 2020. On that day, Canada joined the U.S. in allowing vaccinated citizens of both countries to cross the land border without a COVID test requirement. And while it’s early in the travel season, we’re definitely starting to visit one another again for pleasure, business and seeing friends and family.
Canada will be standing by the required use of its Arrive CAN app within 72 hours of a northbound trip over the border. But once you set this up with your vaccination documentation, it’s simple, before heading to Lacolle or whatever crossing you will use, to check some boxes and provide some pre-info. It’s something we can and must get used to. Coming into the U.S. requires nothing but the usual recognized ID and proof of vaccination.
I’ve already been back to Montreal a couple of times on business after two years of Zooms, attending business gatherings and seeing partners face to face without a screen. And we are all starting to see more Quebec and Ontario plates around the area.
To encourage Canadian visitation, which will not resume 2019 levels overnight but will hopefully ramp up by summer, the Chamber’s Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau has initiated a multi-faceted “Welcome Back” campaign of videos, social media activity and other outreach that will soon also include advertising in the Montreal market. All area businesses are encouraged to go to www.northcountrychamber.com and access some different printable, bi-lingual “welcome” signs to post in windows and elsewhere. And please put out positive messaging on your own social media to reinforce the effort. And let’s make sure all of us and our employees make an extra effort to tell Canadian customers and visitors how much we have missed them — not just in a business sense but as friends.
ONWARD AND UPWARD!
VOUS NOUS AVEZ MANQUE!
And as we encourage the resumption of visits here, we need to all resume our own visits north as well, reinforcing the reunion.
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