Covid plan B for Canada staying closed

[sv_pelagia]

In a "normal" year (non-COVID-19), Whistler actually has more visitors in the Summer than Winter. However, Winter visitors stay longer and spend more money.

This yeaf, (late) Summer and early Fall here in Whistler has been surprisingly busy, with the village very crowded.

With planned significant lift limitations due to Covid-19, "normal" Winter crowds here in Whistler would be impossible.

(Yes, we live in Whistler... when not out on the boat.)

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Sure that "Winter in Edmonton" isn't actually "spring, fall & winter in Calgary"...? [emoji6]

Alberta only has two seasons each year: Winter and August.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

Alberta only has two seasons each year: Winter and August.

Is it just Manitoba that has winter and fly seasons?

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

Alberta only has two seasons each year: Winter and August.

Montana just south of Alberta, typically has four seasons, June, July, August and winter, albeit this September and early October were very warm. Yet we had our first snowfall in the valleys yesterday and it looks like the cold is here to stay.

Stay safe up north. Covid has gone crazy rampant in Montana this month, 500 to 600+ new cases per day out of a population of 1 million. But then they are testing upwards of 10,000+ persons per day, 1% of the population. Miss not having the Albertan Express of Snowbirds passing through to winter in sunny southern climates this Fall. Maybe next Fall the migration / mass exodus from Canada can renew again.

Time to go hibernate with a warm, cuddly, grizzly bear, sharing a den until a vaccine is available in the Spring. Brought out our 3 Dog Down comforter for sleeping this week.

[nwdiver]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

Alberta only has two seasons each year: Winter and August.

You mean winter and soon to be winter.....

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

What's missing is the criteria by which these decisions are being made. I'm fine with the border closure, but it's unclear to me what scientific benchmarks are being used.

Is it the overall infection number in the USA? Is it the number of people being infected by each new case (the R0 value). Is it the positivity rate of testing? Is it the lack of vaccine? Is it the proportion of the population demonstrating good pandemic practices (physical distancing, mask wearing, etc.) Or is it a change of leadership?

What's the criteria by which these month-to-month border decisions are being made?

IMHO it is that the US rate of everything Covid-19 is three times ours (although ours is climbing) and we don't want those numbers catching on here. The vast majority of Canadians don't want Americans coming into the country (we should build a wall and make the Americans pay for it ☺). Plus it.makes contact tracing much easier if we know all transmission is local. The decision is half scientific and half political pandering. Personally I kind of like it. It was nice having anchorages all to ourselves this past summer.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

IMHO it is that the US rate of everything Covid-19 is three times ours (although ours is climbing) and we don't want those numbers catching on here. The vast majority of Canadians don't want Americans coming into the country (we should build a wall and make the Americans pay for it ☺). Plus it.makes contact tracing much easier if we know all transmission is local. The decision is half scientific and half political pandering. Personally I kind of like it. It was nice having anchorages all to ourselves this past summer.

I'm happy for you . Unfortunately I've been caught in our internal border closures. My boat is in Newfoundland, but since I'm not a resident of that province, I've been barred from entry. I haven't even laid eyes on my boat in over a year now .

The USA's response to this pandemic has been very poor by almost any measure, but Canada's is no shining beacon either. And now our numbers are spiking rather dramatically. Still, we're no where near as bad as south of the border.

CTV published a good ranking of all Canadian provinces/territories AND all the US states. Quebec is showing massive increases, but ranks a lowly 36th on the combined list (as measured in cases/million).

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/corona...ates-1.5051033

[Lost Horizons]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Still, we're no where near as bad as south of the border.

Depends on which border you are talking about. Vermont’s numbers are much better than Canada’s. The reason is the low population density.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I'm happy for you . Unfortunately I've been caught in our internal border closures. My boat is in Newfoundland, but since I'm not a resident of that province, I've been barred from entry. I haven't even laid eyes on my boat in over a year now .

The USA's response to this pandemic has been very poor by almost any measure, but Canada's is no shining beacon either. And now our numbers are spiking rather dramatically. Still, we're no where near as bad as south of the border.

CTV published a good ranking of all Canadian provinces/territories AND all the US states. Quebec is showing massive increases, but ranks a lowly 36th on the combined list (as measured in cases/million).

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/corona...ates-1.5051033

Hopefully the internal restrictions are lifted relatively soon - but the Maritime are doing MUCH better than the rest of us (particularly their immediate neighbour to the west, Quebec, so who can blame them?

Buy a boat for this coast too ☺. I know a lovely Amazon ketch, lying in Jack's Boatyard, Lund that can probably be had for $50,000Cdn or less! Fully equipped for offshore.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

Hopefully the internal restrictions are lifted relatively soon - but the Maritime are doing MUCH better than the rest of us (particularly their immediate neighbour to the west, Quebec, so who can blame them?

Indeed, it's hard to argue with success. The Atlantic Bubble is the safest place to be -- at least from a Covi-19 perspective (even safer than Vermont ).

Originally Posted by Scorpius

Buy a boat for this coast too ☺. I know a lovely Amazon ketch, lying in Jack's Boatyard, Lund that can probably be had for $50,000Cdn or less! Fully equipped for offshore.

Hey, don't even joke about that. For the first time in a decade I've been looking at Yachtworld, and snooping around on the west coast. Problem is, I don't know how I would sell our current boat in absentia. Hopefully things will change by next Spring ... hopefully.

[hpeer]

Mike,

There is the fault in your logic, you need boats in 2 different hemispheres: North and South.

Then some citizenship magic to allow you to migrate.

I am a bit ahead of you kn this but still failing.

Drat!!! N

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Mike,

There is the fault in your logic, you need boats in 2 different hemispheres: North and South.

Then some citizenship magic to allow you to migrate.

I am a bit ahead of you kn this but still failing.

Drat!!! N

Such a good plan ... almost .


The court fight continues over the legality of the NL travel ban. From my selfish perspective, I hope gets struck down. But I really do appreciate their reasoning. All the Atlantic provinces are small, with equally small healthcare systems. It wouldn't take much to completely overwhelm them.

N.L.'s COVID-19 travel ban decision to be appealed, Canadian Civil Liberties Association says

[yesthatsue]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

Alberta only has two seasons each year: Winter and August.

Ontario also has two seasons: hockey and road construction.

[Lost Horizons]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Such a good plan ... almost .


The court fight continues over the legality of the NL travel ban. From my selfish perspective, I hope gets struck down. But I really do appreciate their reasoning. All the Atlantic provinces are small, with equally small healthcare systems. It wouldn't take much to completely overwhelm them.

N.L.'s COVID-19 travel ban decision to be appealed, Canadian Civil Liberties Association says

It is always sad watching people trading freedom for security...

[hpeer]

Trading freedom for security.......

The equation is not the same everywhere because of the demographics.

We have permanent ties to NL and have been barred from visiting our summer cabin and boat.

Unless you know NL it is hard to understand NL. Mike touches on the problem lightly.

As Mike says they have a very thin medical system. A total of 500,000 population but nearly half of that is in the St Johns area, which is on a peninsula, relatively remote from the balance of the island. There are a few other population centers of note, Corner Brook being the next largest. The point being this half of the population is very spread out.

On the one hand it is good, they are almost in perpetual isolation. On the other hand medical services are few and far between. Its not uncommon to be an hour from the nearest doctor, 2 hours from a “clinic”, 3 hours from “hospital”, and many medical services require transport to the mainland.

Being spread out they do need some human contact so things like church are very, very important. It can be a cold, dreary place for months; social contact becomes essential. And the population is old, young folks move to St Johns or off the island. The ones that stay are often working the tar sands or some such job that requires time away and travel. When they get back they want to see and he seen by their family and friends. Therefore its not hard to understand the one big spreading event they had was a funeral, yet that was near St Johns. Its not much of a stretch to say the out ports resemble old age homes.

Such an event in one of the outports could easily get out of control and heavily hit a very vulnerable population.

Of necessity they have to accept a lot of risk do to necessary travel. 90+ percent of food is imported, coming across on the Nova Scotia ferry. There are 2 or 3 shiploads of goods coming into St Johns weekly from Halifax but all other goods come across the ferry. One sick driver, infecting others on the ferry, could spread across the island rapidly.

We personally have been greatly inconvenienced by the restrictions, and I grumble about it. But its not my life on the line here. So I complain and comply. While I tend to think they have over done it my view is one of a visitor, not of a responsible public official with friends and family on the hook.