The U.S. border is reopening in three weeks, but will B.C. residents want to cross?

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — A day has now been set for Canadians to be welcomed back to the United States, many say they won’t be first in line to cross.

Among them is Andrew Beasley, who lives in Metro Vancouver and has property down in Washington State. He says he’s excited to hear the news, but it doesn’t mean he’s in any rush to go down to the U.S.

“I’m still sort of leery about going down there and coming back because of our fellow Canadians and our American neighbours and keeping each other protected,” he said. “I’d rather just go to ground and stay up here until such a time that it will be a heck of a lot safer than it is right now.”

He says friends in the U.S. have been taking care of his property down in Lake Tyee since the border shut down back in March 2020, and he expects that will have to continue until he feels safer.

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The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce says it understands the hesitation but is ready with all safety measures in place so people can be comfortable.

“They are hiring. They are cleaning up their spaces if they’ve been closed to customers. They are being creative and resilient in how they are going to attract people to come into their doors,” CEO Rachel Smith said.

She says the city relies heavily on tourism from B.C. to help boost its bottom line.

But for many, the desire to travel stateside is mostly crushed by the price tag and inconvenience associate with the PCR test required in order to come back home.

Currently, a negative PCR test is required to enter Canada, and officials say the requirement will remain in place for the time being.

The Surrey Board of Trade doesn’t expect those in the Lower Mainland to be doing any day trips come Nov. 8 because the negative test requirement means it will not be as easy as it used to be to go back and forth.

“What are the details? So when people go to the border – us Canadians – is it going to be efficient? What documentations are required? We cannot afford anymore grey areas,” CEO and President Anita Huberman said.

The cost of getting a PCR test for travel varies. One lab in Whatcom County in Washington State prices a test at about $180 USD — which is about $223 CAD. Appointments are generally needed to get such a test for travel, but again, the process may vary.

Canada Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam stressed the need for vigilance.

“We are in a situation in Canada where our health systems are still very fragile. We need to take a precautionary approach in the next little while, and we’ll continue to evaluate the situation,” she said during a COVID-19 briefing Friday.