Border restrictions cause mixed emotions on Atlantic bubble opening day
For a good many Maritimers, the latest restrictions on travel at the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border affect them on a personal level.
Stephanie Myles and her family live in the Sydney area – roughly five hours away from the provincial border – but the impact of the rule changes hits close to home.
"Well, I am over 40 weeks pregnant – almost 41 weeks pregnant – and my parents live in New Brunswick," the expectant mother told CTV Atlantic.
With their second child due to arrive any day now, the plan was for Myles' parents to arrive from Nackawic, N.B., to be there for the birth and help out. And the timing was going to be perfect.
"I was really excited when I found out that my parents would be able to come on June 23," Myles says. "And I tell you, my mom had the car packed as soon as she found out last week."
Now, the way the rules have changed at the provincial border has made it uncertain whether her parents can make the trip to Cape Breton.
"This has added a lot of unnecessary stress, and that is what is so frustrating," Myles says.
On the other side of the border, in Dieppe, N.B., Peter Henry and his wife Shirley were hoping to travel to Amherst, N.S., to witness their only grandson's high school graduation. The couple says they have each received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
"It went from anger to frustration to unbelievable," Peter Henry says in describing his emotions when he learned of the changes to restrictions and isolation rules. "We'd have to go there a week ahead of time for a two-hour graduation. It's our grandson's Grade 12 graduation. It's a once in a lifetime thing."
Wednesday's date had been circled on the calendar for many since plans for the Atlantic Bubble were announced earlier this month. With COVID-19 cases going down, it was expected to be another milestone towards the Maritimes opening up. But when opening day arrived, there were many who didn't feel like celebrating.
"I know things change, and admissions can change in a heartbeat," Peter Henry says. "But this to me, it's just utterly ridiculous."
There are Maritimers who see the issue differently. Stephanie Myles says she knows provincial governments have tough decisions to make during the pandemic, and that they can't please everyone. She says it's the timing – and lack of notice – that frustrates her.
"At this point in the pandemic, I do expect more. I will say that," Myles says. "It's not March of 2020 anymore. It added a lot of stress to our family, and I'm sure it added a lot of stress to other families too."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.