Implications of the closure of the border between the US and Canada (Video of March 2020) 2:37
Cornwall, Ontario (CNN) -
There were no bricks or mortars, no fences or cement, no cross-border diplomatic skirmishes, just two government orders.
And that was enough to essentially close the world's longest international border for visitors.
When the United States and Canada mutually agreed in March to close the border to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, no one predicted it would be closed for that long.
There is still no specific date for its reopening, although trade between the countries has continued.
“There is a closeness that we are definitely losing, but I can tell you that nobody I have spoken to here wants the border to open soon.
We miss you, citizens of the United States, but we are not comfortable opening the border, ”said Bernadette Clement, mayor of Cornwall, Ontario, in an interview with CNN.
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From east to west for thousands of kilometers, in communities on both sides of the national divide, the closing of the border is redefining not only economic relationships, but also personal life, in a way that no one expected.
"This is really going to have a long-term impact on our communities, economically, socially and on all the things that are really important to us," said Tim Currier, Mayor of Massena, New York, a "sister" community to Cornwall. just a few miles from the border across the St. Lawrence River.
No more.
The border is closed for any travel that is considered "nonessential" or discretionary and that includes all recreation and tourism.
The border between the United States and Canada from the Canadian side.
When the United States and Canada mutually agreed in March to close the border to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, no one predicted it would be closed for that long.
(Paula Newton / CNN)
There's more pain on the Canadian side of the border
Statistics Canada recently reported that cross-border car travel has dropped about 95% on both sides of the border.
For decades in these border communities, people have crossed the border in both directions every day to attend a school or training program, shop for deals, satisfy a craving for a meal at a favorite restaurant, or a travel trip. Last minute to the casino to play the slot machines.
In a way, the border closure has been the victim of its own success.
Essential goods and services have continued to flow across the border efficiently and simply, without significantly affecting supply chains.
Canada and the United States have one of the most important trade relationships in the world, with about $ 1.9 billion in trade each day.
While the rules apply equally in both countries, the economic pain has not been distributed evenly across the Cornwall-Massena divide.
“There is no question about the economic impact.
We have small businesses that have not reopened, we have some that will never reopen because they rely heavily on Canadian traffic, "Mayor Currier said in a telephone interview with CNN.
Mayor Clement says Cornwall is feeling the economic loss of the American clientele, but with a larger and more dynamic economy, the damage has not been as bad.
And as infection rates rose in the United States, diverging from Canada's flattened pandemic curve, the mere sight of cars with US plates alarmed many Canadians.
"It has been a challenge to keep everyone calm because the residents took note of those plates," said Clement.
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Whether in the Cornwall Walmart parking lot or the downtown business district, many locals told CNN they preferred the border to remain closed for the next several months due to the higher infection rate in the United States.
A July poll by Ipsos showed that more than eight in 10 Canadians want the border to remain closed until at least the end of the year.
The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne: straddling the border
“The challenge for us being right on the border is that we see an increase in cases in the United States as a whole.
Some states have more cases than all of Canada.
We have to be careful with that, ”said Akwesasne Mohawk Council Chief Abram Benedict in a telephone interview with CNN.
The Akwesasne Mohawk straddles the borders of the United States and Canada and its 13,000 residents occupy a unique position.
They have maintained their right to travel between the two countries even during this pandemic.
By presenting their ID cards to prove their Indian status, they can cross the border for essential travel into the United States or Canada to shop, bank, see a doctor, or check on family members.
It also means that they are exempt from a two-week quarantine upon entering Canada.
Benedict says that means people with New York State license plates are often seen in and around Cornwall.
Most Canadian residents now understand that they have a right to be there, but Benedict says his community has a greater responsibility to keep everyone safe.
A night curfew remains in force in Akwesasne with a ban on travel outside a radius of about 50 miles.
Benedict adds that many in his community have been wearing masks long before it was mandatory in Cornwall.
In fact, new infections are low on both sides of the border, but the longer the border is closed, the deeper the economic impact.
"I have to fill a 40% hole in my business," Todd Papineau, general manager of Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort, said in a telephone interview with CNN, saying he doesn't expect Canadians to return for months.
Papineau says most of his 750 employees have been out of work for about five months, though he's trying to bring back half of them for a proposed reopening later this month, depending solely on local U.S. customers. .
"At worst, this will still be with us next year, that's what I think;
I hope I'm wrong, ”said Papineau.
Nancy Page works at Philos Restaurant in Cornwall, which has relied on diners from the United States. (Paula Newton / CNN)
"It is more difficult for companies"
At Philos restaurant in Cornwall, American customers were a staple for the family-owned Greek restaurant and pizzeria.
After five months, the restaurant has just reopened for dinner at home.
On a recent Friday afternoon, only one table was being served in a dining room that can serve more than 100 customers.
The prolonged closure of the border has meant that companies dependent on US customers face a decline in business over the next few months.
“It is more difficult for companies.
We have fewer customers and it's a big change for the people who work at those companies because they don't know what to expect in the future, ”said Nancy Page, a manager who has been working at the restaurant for most of its two decades.
Some border communities, especially in the United States, are pushing for a way forward to try to open the border using what they call a careful, slow, and thoughtful process, following the advice of public health experts.
"I certainly respect Canada's point of view, but what is happening in Florida is not happening in New York, and New Yorkers are taking significant steps to reduce the likelihood and chances of increased infection cases," Currier said.
Many in Canada's business community agree with him, arguing that Canada should redouble rapid tests and that a two-week quarantine over the next several months is unsustainable and will disproportionately affect entertainment and customer service.
"Some sectors have been hit and their very existence is at stake," says Goldy Hyder, president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada.
"I think there must be a plan to work towards a reopening in a responsible manner," he said.
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