As of Monday, fully vaccinated Americans have been able to enter Canada, skipping quarantine, as part of Canada‘s phased reopening of the border.
The Thousand Islands region in eastern Ontario is elated to welcome American tourists who are now permitted to cross the border, a CBC report says.
Christine Armstrong, who manages the Grenville Park Campground & RV, a short drive from Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge is one of the excited business owners in the region.
American tourists spend a night or two in the park to support their business. In the report, she said it’s a relief to even see traffic passing by the bridge.
After a long time of silence and nothingness, Monday was a different day. All three lanes of the bridge were now open for vehicles to cross border security.
Brian Allen is another business owner included in the report. He runs the 1000 Islands Duty-Free nearby, stated that it was not common to see so many lanes open before the pandemic.
Although his store was a pick-up point for the past 16 months, he had to either donate or destroy most food, beer, and cream liqueurs. He added that they were doing less than 5 percent of their usual sales.
According to the report, many businesses claim that loosening restrictions give relief to the area. Heidi Linckh, the owner of the 1000 Islands Tower, said it doesn’t make any difference to her business.
Linckh stated that vacationers interested in the tower’s views made their plans months in advance, so cars crossing the border are less likely now to stop and will be heading to properties in the area.
Tourism operators are united in their excitement for the day when the U.S. will openly allow Canadians to travel to the United States.The American government has said that won’t happen until at least Aug. 21.