What dropping the travel mandates means for Canadians moving forward
By the weekend, travelling into and across Canada will look a little different.
On Monday, the federal government announced it would be dropping COVID border restrictions for anyone entering Canada and masking on planes and trains will also come to end.
The changes are set to come into effect on Oct. 1.
Mary Jane Hiebert, the board chair of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies and operates Oyster Travel Service in Steinbach, said the use of the ArriveCan app as well as showing proof of vaccination will also be gone.
"Most of the world, actually these days have lifted the restrictions. So I think Canada is just following suit with most of what every other country is doing. You know, following the science, it says we should be safe, we're vaccinated. I don't know that (the government) followed any peer pressure, but they certainly were listening," said Hiebert.
From travellers she has spoken with, Hiebert said they are happy that these mandates are being lifted.
"The ArriveCan app has been a bit of a nuisance, frankly. It's cumbersome, not everyone is tech-savvy. There were hiccups and glitches in the system that actually forced people to quarantine when they didn't need to. So it wasn't a perfect world…but I think people are sort of relieved and happy that we're coming to an end of these restrictions."
She said ever since COVID-19 started spreading, transportation companies have made travelling as safe as possible, noting she has felt safe when she needs to fly or take a train.
"I think early on, the airlines were actually very proactive in making sure the surrounding areas within the cabin were very safe," she said. "You're in confined quarters within your offices, within your homes, certainly, yes, you are meeting people that are not within your own homestead on planes and trains and automobiles. But, the airlines have certainly made the conditions very safe."
She said people still need to be smart when travelling and that if they have symptoms of any kind they should still wear a mask or not travel.
With the changes coming, Hiebert was asked if this will help reduce some of the delays and problems that are felt at the airport or border crossings.
She said while dropping the restrictions is good news, it might lead to more delays.
"ArriveCan, in some cases, was positive in that people who used it, well because you had to when you arrived back into Canada, that made things speed up a little bit at customs and immigration," said Hiebert.
She noted border agents are still needed, as well as pilots and flight attendants, so there could still be some problems while the system tries to get back up to 100 per cent capacity.
Hiebert said for those who haven't travelled for the last two-plus years, she is advising them to still bring a mask and make sure they arrive early so they have plenty of time to make it through security.
- With files from CTV News' Nicole Dube and Rachel Aiello
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.