US Rep. Elise Stefanik requested the Canadian government eliminate ArriveCan, claiming it continues to “negatively impact US and Canadian border communities.” .“As you know, the US and Canada’s unique partnership is critical to the success of the communities on both sides of our border and dependent on valuing and maximizing the people-to-people relationship,” said Stefanik in a Thursday letter. .“We should be working to further develop our partnership, not inhibit its success with misguided burdens such as the Canadian government’s mandated use of the ArriveCan app.” .Stefanik said ArriveCan “disincentivizes travel, harms the flow of commerce, and burdens travellers with the submission of private health information.”.She said the app should be scrapped because it has a number of glitches, leading to people who do not have to quarantine upon entering Canada being directed to. .The American politician went on to say ArriveCan created major backlogs of travellers waiting to clear customs. She alleged travellers are choosing to stay home rather than face long wait times and frustrations coming from the app. .Stefanik said the Canadian border community chambers of commerce that have spoken out are “rightly concerned the ArriveCan app is slowing down border crossings and having a detrimental economic impact on the cross-border tourism in border communities.” .A coalition of chambers of commerce representing border communities across Canada called on the federal government on August 12 to scrap ArriveCan and remove remaining COVID-19 restrictions. .READ MORE: Border chambers of commerce ask Canadian government to end ArriveCan.“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. .“The ArriveCAN app is hurting both our tourism industry and our economy in general.”.Stefanik said ArriveCan does not have a public health purpose and has been harming commerce and the flow of traffic. .“I urge you and the Canadian Government to cease this app’s harmful impacts on our border communities and immediately halt its required use,” she said. .This letter comes after Conservative leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis said on Wednesday Canada’s continued use of ArriveCan and the fines being levied against people who refuse to use it amount to “governmental bullying and harassment.”.READ MORE: Lewis says ArriveCAN is ‘completely unjustified' and 'potentially illegal'."We are currently living in a situation where Canadians are not free to enter their own country without completing a form that currently has no legal basis to exist," said Lewis. ."While the term ‘medical tyranny’ is mocked by some, it's a fair description of a government that refuses to follow its own law or even the mobility rights enshrined in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms."
