OTTAWA - Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig is among the elected officials from both Canada and the U.S. to sign an open letter to U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
The letter calls for both governments to end what they call unnecessary conditions at the border and return the Canada/U.S. border to a normal pre-pandemic state. A total of 15 Canadian mayors, 16 Canadian MPs and seven U.S. officials signed the letter. Ludwig was the only Saskatchewan mayor to sign.
“When COVID-19 was at its peak and border measures were effective at slowing transmission rates, we did our part to keep Canadians and Americans safe. Now, we have been left behind in the recovery effort as both countries have largely returned to normal daily life.”
Additionally, the letter notes that air travel has been allowed to resume in such high volumes that air infrastructure is struggling to process the number of travellers. Non-vaccinated travellers are clear to travel thousands of kilometres across Canada and the United States while land borders are regulated at the expense of communities who depend on the back-and-forth crossing of the Canadian=American border.
The nature of the shared land border is a constant coming and going. While they say life returns to normal everywhere else, government regulations have prevented border communities from resuming their way of life and economic base.
This is a non-partisan issue,” the letter states, and they are imploring both federal governments for urgent action to help border communities recover and return to normal.
Ludwig was among the mayors to sign a similar letter back in March.
The letter states:
"Dear Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister:
"As border leaders all across Canada and the United States, we are writing to you jointly to raise our collective concerns over the need to return the Canada/USA border to a normal pre-pandemic state. As elected leaders, we are standing together to call on both of your governments to remove unnecessary restrictions and allow our communities to recover.
"When this pandemic began, our border communities supported public health measures and federal recommendations. When COVID-19 was at its peak and border measures were effective at slowing transmission rates, we did our part to keep Canadians and Americans safe. Now, we have been left behind in the recovery effort as both countries have largely returned to normal daily life.
"We know why our border is a special asset to both countries. Together, our two countries share the Great Lakes, major airsheds, migratory routes for wildlife, and countless transboundary rivers and lakes. We share hockey teams and grocery stores. We share a peaceful boundary where culture and community are not confined by a border. Our land borders are the most integrated in the world in terms of economies and communities and should never be closed to each other again.
"That is the nature of our land border: constantly coming and going. While life returns to normal everywhere else, your government regulations have prevented us from resuming our way of life and economic base.
"Air travel has been allowed to resume in such high volume that our air infrastructure is struggling to process the number of travellers and unvaccinated travellers are clear to travel thousands of kilometres across Canada and the United States. Land borders, on the other hand, are regulated at the expense of communities whose entire livelihood depends on the back-and-forth crossing of the Canadian-American border.
"We are calling on you to lift unnecessary conditions to cross the Canada-US border. Border mayors have engaged health professionals and have received advice on best practices and it is clear that these measures are no longer meaningful or helpful and only serve to harm border communities and border community businesses.
"This letter has been signed by all manners of government representatives: members of Parliament, members of Congress, and mayors who safeguard border communities on both sides of the border. This is a non-partisan issue.
"We are all imploring both our federal governments for urgent action to help border communities recover and return to normal."
