The United States and Canada mutually agreed to close the border back in March to stem the spread of the coronavirus, a move that’s unlikely to be reversed anytime soon, CNN reports.
"There's a closeness that we're definitely missing, but I can tell you not anyone that I have spoken to here wants that border opened anytime soon. We miss you citizens of the US, but we're not comfortable opening the border," said Cornwall, Ontario, Mayor Bernadette Clement.
"This really is going to have a long-term impact on our communities, economically, socially and on all the things that are really important to us," added Tim Currier, the mayor of Cornwall’s sister city, Massena, New York, which is located just across the border on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence River.
"There is no question about the economic impact. We have small businesses that have not reopened, we have some that will never reopen because they rely heavily on Canadian traffic," the mayor said.
Currier added, "I certainly respect Canada's view, but what's happening in Florida is not happening in New York and New Yorkers are taking significant steps to reduce the likelihood and the chances of infection cases increasing."
The Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne, home to 13,000 residents, straddles the border on both banks of the St. Lawrence. Mohawk Council Grand Chief Abram Benedict told CNN that "the challenge for us being right on the border is we see the surge in cases in the United States as a whole. Some states have more cases than the entire country of Canada. We have to be cautious about that.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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