OTTAWA, Ontario – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that the United States-Canada border could reopen for fully vaccinated Americans as soon as August.
Trudeau spoke with leaders of Canada’s provinces on Thursday and his office released a readout of the call. He noted that if Canada’s current positive path of vaccination rate and public health conditions continue the border can open.
When the border closed because of the COVID pandemic, 85-year-old Al Oleski and his 81-year-old girlfriend Carol were forced to be separated. She lives in Ontario and he lives in Livonia. While they’re used to spending time apart, this has been the longest they’ve gone in a decade without being able to see each other.
The two met while they were still married to other people while on a group trip traveling Europe. The two kept in touch and after their spouses passed away about 10 years ago, they decided to get together and get a place of their own.
“Florida,” Oleski said. “We have a little mobile home about 10 minutes from the beach.”
Oleski typically spends the summers in Ontario but has been unable to during the last two years. He said they speak every day by telephone and occasionally by video, but that’s been difficult too.
“Every so often we Facetime,” Oleski said. “I say me and technology don’t go together, but anyway.”
With the news that fully vaccinated Americans may be able to cross the border by mid-August, Oleski will be the first to tell you -- he’s better in person.
“It’s hard to put into words. You’re lonesome because you can’t be with the one you love and you want to be together and, of course, we’re not together all the time,” Oleski said. “But if for some reason if she wanted to come here for something or I wanted to go there for something, there wasn’t too much impediment, just go across the border and say, ‘Hi, I’m here.’”
Just being able to say “Hi” might just be within reach.
Who can travel to Canada
Per the Canadian government:
Until further notice, most foreign nationals cannot travel to Canada, even if they have a valid visitor visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA).
These restrictions stop most non-essential (discretionary) travel to Canada.