A coalition of chambers of commerce representing border communities across Canada is calling on the federal government to scrap ArriveCan and remove remaining COVID-19 restrictions. .“The border measures are not only slowing down border crossings, but they’re also having a deterrent effect on visitors from the USA,” said Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Rakesh Naidu in a press release..“The ArriveCAN app is hurting both our tourism industry and our economy in general.”.The chambers of commerce that signed the letter include those in New Brunswick, Ontario, and Manitoba. All of these chambers of commerce are requesting these measures end to benefit their communities and local economies. .The letter said Statistics Canada reported border crossings from the United States in June were about half the number made at that time in 2019. Tourism spending in Canada is more than one-third below pre-pandemic levels. .The chambers of commerce said it is unacceptable wait times at land borders have increased by up to two hours since 2019 despite traffic being cut in half, and bridge authorities attribute it to ArriveCan and COVID-19 restrictions. The average wait time for arriving passengers at airports has shot up by 400%. .Naidu said the additional time and resources spent on ArriveCan and restrictions “slows the crossing for all and puts additional strain on already stretched supply chains.” He called the app ineffective in its current format. .“Therefore, its effect on limiting the spread of the virus is minimal, while at the same time hurting our tourism sector and economy in general,” he said. .The Canada Border Services Agency tried to reduce backlogs by announcing on August 3 it was permitting travellers to submit their customs and immigration declaration forms up to 72 hours in advance of coming to Canada through ArriveCan. .READ MORE: Canadian government allows travellers to fill out ArriveCan further in advance.This feature was made available to people landing at Toronto Pearson, Montreal-Trudeau, and Vancouver international airports. .It will be rolled out to travellers arriving at places such as Billy Bishop Toronto City, Calgary, and Edmonton airports in the coming months.
