News the U.S. government is opening the land border to fully vaccinated Canadians is exciting for many, including businesses near the border.
"The vast majority of my clientele are Canadians going to the United States," says Cam Bisonnette, owner of the Osoyoos Duty Free Store. "Whether it's recreational travel, on business, or whatever it may be. That's what we really need. So we're excited about the border opening on November 8th."
The border closure has meant tough times for Bissonnette, his family and employees. He had to layoff a number of staff. But they're still here.
"I'll give credit where credit is due," adds Bissonette. "That is the federal government. The programs they extended to businesses that were hard hit by the pandemic. Those programs really helped me out. "If it wasn't for the federal government, we would probably have sheets of plywood over our windows and we would be dusting off our resumes trying to find other gainful employment."
The U.S. won't require Canadians to show proof of vaccination to cross. But returning to Canada requires a negative PCR test conducted at most 72 hours before crossing the border.
PCR tests can cost upwards of $200.
The Canadian government does not accept rapid antigen tests, which can be had for only $40.