'Absolutely devastating': Struggling duty-free stores call for end to ArriveCan app
Duty-free shops along Canada's border, like the one in Emerson, are continuing to report record low sales.
Driving home to Colorado from his trip to Canada, Jim Payson decided to stop at the Emerson Duty Free Shop to buy some gifts and a bottle of Crown Royal.
"This was the first time since COVID that we've been across, so it's been probably four years ago last time I came across," said Payson.
Michael Resch, the owner of the Emerson Duty Free Shop, said business has been the worst in the decades he's been open.
"The last couple of years have been absolutely devastating with COVID and the border closed, so we had almost no business at all," he said.
While the border has since reopened, tourism hasn't returned to normal.
Resch said on a pre-COVID Sunday in summer, his parking lot would be nearly full -- a very different situation than right now.
"Well, you can see there's the odd car coming in. Most of them are American travellers. There's very little Canadians going out."
Resch said his sales are only a quarter of what a normal summer should be.
The Frontier Duty Free Association (FDFA) says duty-free shops across the country are hurting.
In a recent report, its 17 members reported a 44.82 per cent decrease in sales in July compared to July 2019. A concerning number as July is the prime month for sales.
The report also found peak holidays like Independence Day and the August long weekend were down about the same.
The association believes government hurdles like the ArriveCan app and vaccination requirements stop more tourists from crossing the border.
"It's only hurting tourism business, more over hurting border towns and border community businesses, so it's doing more harm than good," said Barbara Barrett, executive director of the FDFA.
The FDFA is now calling on the feds to scrap the app, hoping it will encourage people to travel.
"It's important not only for myself," said Resch, "It's important for the employees. It's important for the economy."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
Advocacy groups speak out against domestic violence comments by Nova Scotia minister
Several Nova Scotia groups that assist women are speaking out against comments on domestic violence by Justice Minister Brad Johns, and at least one is calling for his dismissal.
A couple lost their wedding rings during the ceremony. Two strangers found a fitting solution
Every good wedding has to have one teensy, tiny crisis.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.