B.C. considering travel ban on out-of-province visitors: Premier Horgan | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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B.C. considering travel ban on out-of-province visitors: Premier Horgan

Premier John Horgan
Image Credit: SUBMITTED / Province of B.C.

While it’s not "who we are as Canadians" to ban travel between provinces, Premier John Horgan said he is seeking legal advice this week on whether B.C. can ban out-of-province visitors.

“I want to put this either to rest so British Columbians understand that we cannot do that, that we’re not going to do that, or there is a way to do it and we’re going to work with other provinces to achieve it,” Horgan said during a news conference today, Jan. 14. “People have been talking about it for months and months and I think it’s time we put it to bed, finally.”

His comments come in response to a question about Whistler doctors being concerned about out-of-province visitors. He noted it’s a concern throughout the province.

“On the surface it would seem an easy thing to do to just tell people not to come here,” Horgan said. “That’s not part and parcel of who we are as Canadians. Other premiers have expressed a similar view. We want to make sure people stay home, stay in place, until we get through this.”

He’s holding a cabinet retreat today and tomorrow and hopes to have legal advice on a possible travel ban later this week.

He noted that British Columbians have been making sacrifices for months by not traveling to see family or maintain traditions. People across the country were outraged to hear of politicians travelling out of the country over Christmas, Horgan said, noting no one from the B.C. Legislature engaged in such travel.

He's not looking at preventing non-essential international travel by B.C. residents.

Public health orders issued by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, which are in effect until Feb. 5, tell B.C. residents not to travel for vacations, recreation or social visits.

The Health Ministry could not be immediately reached for comment on the severity of the issue posed by interprovincial travel.

The Atlantic provinces formed a bubble that required people from outside the region to get approval before travelling there, but Horgan said a similar plan might not work for B.C.

"There's only a few ways in or out and it's easier to manage than it would be here in B.C.," he said.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control lists 39 COVID-19 public exposures on flights coming into B.C. from other provinces between Dec. 31 and Jan. 8.

Big White Ski Resort, which has reported more than 130 COVID-19 cases among staff members and locals, cancelled all non-local bookings until Feb. 5 as a result of Henry's orders.

Michael J. Ballingall, Big White Resort's senior vice-president, said in a statement the company was encouraging visitors from around Canada to follow the provincial health guidelines.

"Following the rules is not about the bottom line, it’s about bending the curve and staying open for our season passholders and local skiers and snowboarders," Ballingall said.

"I think that we've tried our best to appeal to people's common sense," Horgan said about discouraging travel. "Those are individual choices at the end of the day, there's no prohibition in terms of a legal requirement."

The B.C. government was one of the first in the country to push for stricter international border measures, he added.

— With files from The Canadian Press


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