Things are complicated at the N.S.-N.B. border because of varying pandemic restrictions
It's been a while since people have been able to travel between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick under the same set of COVID-19 rules.
New Brunswick's decision to open its borders to the whole country will keep it that way until next Wednesday and people who've been living through ever-changing rules wish they didn't have to wait.
"He can come here and go back; but I can't go there and come back," said Sharon Hachey.
That's the situation in which Bathurst residents Ian MacLean and Sharon Hachey find themselves.
Parked at the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border for a mid-highway swap as she tries to get to Halifax to catch a work flight to Alberta.
A friend from Nova Scotia is en route, to take her the rest of the way.
"Because of the way the border now is, I can't drive into Nova Scotia and then back to my home province of New Brunswick, but her friend he's coming here to get her because he can drive back into Nova Scotia," said MacLean.
Said Hachey: "But this is hope, I have friends in Nova Scotia that haven't been able to see their family, so I'm happy for them."
It's the kind of situation so many residents on both sides have found themselves in; able to cross one way without self-isolation requirements, but not the other.
While New Brunswick opened its border to travellers at midnight Wednesday, Nova Scotia won't be doing the same, until next Wednesday.
Today, travellers crossing into Nova Scotia are still stopped at the border to make sure they're following isolation protocols.
"It shows that unless both provinces are willing to open up access from either side, nothing really changes," said Dr. David Kogan.
Like many people, Kogan works in New Brunswick, but lives in Amherst and is town mayor. He's anxious for the day when he won't need his essential worker pass to return from work to home.
"It's been particularly challenging for a lot of people, especially when their loved ones are so close yet so far," said Kogan.
And in a community where 40 per cent of retail revenue comes from New Brunswick, it's not only personal, it's a matter of the economy.
"When was the last time either premier actually came to the border," said Stephen Emmerson, the president of Emerson Packaging, Amherst's largest employer, which has 400 workers from both sides of the border. He says political leaders should have done a better job of coordinating border travel.
"Everything that's going on with COVID has just created stress and anxiety for everybody and then when you layer that on top of it it's just one more thing people unfortunately have had to deal with for over a year now," Emmerson said.
The hope is that once travel restrictions are lifted between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, it will stay that way, but that will depend on vaccinations and their effectiveness against COVID-19 variants.
"To see this come to an end, everybody is extremely optimistic," said Kogan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'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.
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.
'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.
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.
'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.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
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.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.