While the U.S.-Canadian border is still closed, there is some hope in Northern New York that a reopening could come sooner rather than later.One of President Biden’s executive orders calls on several federal agencies to start interacting with Canadian and Mexican officials to develop plans for cross-border travel. It’s something North Country Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Garry Douglas, has been waiting for. “We’re hoping that if the vaccination rollouts continue very strongly and hopefully even accelerate, the numbers get under control in both countries, that this summer we can start to move towards normalization.”Douglas says it will be a while before the border reopens, “It’s going to take some months. Nobody should think, ‘Oh, they’re going to have a couple meetings soon and the border’s suddenly going to open.’ But nothing was going to happen as long as we were in limbo, 30-day extensions every month, and no serious conversations between the two countries.”At Lakeside Coffee in Rouses Point, owner Norman Lague said the open border really helps their business.“We’re heavily dependent on not only just the cross-border traffic but just the interstate travel and people traveling through here. We look forward to the day when we can kind of put all of this in our rearview mirror.”When the border eventually opens, everyone at Lakeside Coffee will welcome back their Canadian customers with open arms.
While the U.S.-Canadian border is still closed, there is some hope in Northern New York that a reopening could come sooner rather than later.
One of President Biden’s executive orders calls on several federal agencies to start interacting with Canadian and Mexican officials to develop plans for cross-border travel. It’s something North Country Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Garry Douglas, has been waiting for.
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“We’re hoping that if the vaccination rollouts continue very strongly and hopefully even accelerate, the numbers get under control in both countries, that this summer we can start to move towards normalization.”
Douglas says it will be a while before the border reopens, “It’s going to take some months. Nobody should think, ‘Oh, they’re going to have a couple meetings soon and the border’s suddenly going to open.’ But nothing was going to happen as long as we were in limbo, 30-day extensions every month, and no serious conversations between the two countries.”
At Lakeside Coffee in Rouses Point, owner Norman Lague said the open border really helps their business.
“We’re heavily dependent on not only just the cross-border traffic but just the interstate travel and people traveling through here. We look forward to the day when we can kind of put all of this in our rearview mirror.”
When the border eventually opens, everyone at Lakeside Coffee will welcome back their Canadian customers with open arms.
