Calls to abolish Canada's ArriveCan app have been growing louder for months, as travel horror stories pile up and Canadians become angrier toward the federal government..After smoothly crossing the US-Canada border, David Crouch came home to find the ArriveCan app ordering him to quarantine and stay away from others to protect them from COVID-19, reported the National Post..Crouch had four COVID-19 shots, did not test for COVID-19, and was not showing any symptoms. He was not told he would need to quarantine or go through testing once he arrived at the border.."I checked my email and there's an email from ArriveCan, saying 'you are quarantined. This is your second day of quarantine,'" he said..Crouch has since tried to get a hold of the federal government to report his circumstance, but has been met with no answers.."It seems to be all one way. They can tell you things, they can send you things, but God forbid you ever tried to get hold of anybody," said Crouch..The government believes ArriveCan is a valuable tool for the Canada Border Services Agency and is working for most people, said Audrey Champoux, press secretary to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino..She would not acknowledge individual cases, but admitted problems have arisen for some users. She stressed the government isn't looking to use the app to punish people..Whether it be on land or in the air, Canadians have had significant hiccups with the border control system..A group of scouts have been stranded in Zurich, Switzerland after technical difficulties with ArriveCan where information would not display on arrival at the airport, reported CTV.. Marcus RoyMarcus, who was unable to make his flight home .The organizers traveling with the kids entered all information into the app before heading to the airport, but upon arrival found the only information available was for the two adults..After the delay, six of the 21 group members were unable to make it through security on July 15.."By the time they got everything sorted out, the check-in desk closed. They literally saw their flight leave." said Karina Vega, mom of 14-year-old Marcus Roy who attended the trip..The scouts are all Canadian citizens, aged 12–14 from Bancroft, Ontario, and purchased travel insurance through the group.."Air Canada won't respect their travel insurance policy, which they purchased at an extra cost and includes missing flights," said Vega..Travel insurance many not cover the additional $1,800 per child to fly home, according to Vega..Scouts Canada and the Canadian embassy are now involved in the case, but no resolutions have been made public..At Pearson Airport, an 86-year-old man who doesn't own a phone received a $5,000 fine for not filling out the ArriveCan app..The government representative told the man, "it's what you have to do. This is one of the requirements; it's part of the Quarantine Act.".The man said the government already has proof of his four COVID-19 vaccinations and his passport. "Let's just do the paper work and get this over with," he said.."Because they want the app, the government wants the app," replied the representative..The ArriveCan app was initially intended for travellers to disclose COVID-19 vaccination status and quarantine plans when entering the country, but has stuck around past the expiry of those federal mandates, according to Airport Technology..According to a new Ipsos poll, the majority of Canadians view the current travel delays as a "national embarrassment," and nearly 60% of Canadians are avoiding travel until the airports become more tolerable..Only 37% polled said the federal government is addressing delays and cancellations competently, while only 35% said airlines are dealing with these issues well.."The poll definitely suggests there's a lot of anger right now and uncertainty around travel," said Gregory Jack, vice-president of Ipsos Public Affairs.."Overall, we definitely see a very high level of concern among Canadians in what's happening at our airports, and they're spreading the blame around pretty equally.".Candice Bergen, interim leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, tweeted in reply to the Ipsos poll saying the border control app must end.."It's time to end the mandatory use of the ArriveCan app and return to pre-pandemic norms," said Bergen on Monday..The survey was conducted from July 12–13, with a sample of 1,001 Canadians older than 18..The app is contributing to chaos at understaffed airports, as customs wait times grow with the time it takes to fill out the app's forms..Mark Weber, Canada Customs and Immigration Union president, said airport chaos is due to an over-dependence on technology and staff shortages.."What we're seeing, specifically on the customs side, is really long delays for travellers to clear customs when they're coming into the country," said Weber..He recommended the federal government hire 2,000–3,000 new workers for entry points across Canada.
