'We're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,' New Brunswickers sense return to normal is close
With Monday quickly approaching, the countdown to New Brunswick's 75 per cent vaccination goal to gradually reopen the province is in its final days. While hopeful the province will make the switch to the first phase of the Path to Green, many New Brunswickers are cautiously optimistic of what Monday may bring.
"Setting targets is good, setting dates is good. Sometimes it may lead to false expectations, however, ultimately, we will get there," said Sackville mayor-elect, Shawn Mesheau.
Mesheau says living in a border town means he's been paying close attention to whether the province will get the green light to begin the reopening plan.
"We have folks who are working in Amherst and surrounding areas ... same as folks that are working in that area of ns, that are working over here ... to be able to get back to some sense of being able to cross that border without restrictions will be so important to us," said Mesheau.
Essential workers, including truck drivers, are also looking forward to the idea of seamless border crossings, once again. With current COVID-19 regulations, truck drivers must follow modified self-isolation guidelines for 14 days upon entering the province. They are asked to stay home at all times, except for when picking up essential necessities of life and medical appointments.
Jean-Marc Picard, the executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, says the restrictions made the job even more difficult on drivers.
"It was a bit of a struggle for the last few months coming home and isolating so now that we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully, we'll hit that mark," said Picard.
Picard says he is skeptical the province will hit the vaccination target by Monday, but he's also hopeful it won't be long after.
"Most of the drivers leave for work on Monday and come back home at the end of the week. So, as long as it's by Friday, we'll probably be okay with it.
Sports fans will also benefit from a shift to phase one in the Path to Green plan. A loosening of restrictions means the bleachers at Rocky Stone Field in Moncton's Centennial Park may not stay empty for long.
Greater Moncton Football Association President, Dennis Ronan says fans will be a welcome sight.
"Parents like to cheer on their kids and kids like to hear that cheering from the stands. Especially in a game like football, but all sports really, those athletes thrive from the support of the crowd, that's really what we've been missing and we're so looking forward to having that back," said Ronan.
As of Friday, the province was reporting 67.4 per cent of eligible residents aged 12 and older have had their initial vaccine. More than 50,000 New Brunswickers will need to receive their first dose within the next three days for the province to move to phase one of the Path to Green.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
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.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
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.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.