The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) has asked the Government of Canada to lift its remaining border restrictions.

“With the Chief Public Health Officer reporting declining COVID-19 indicators and as other pandemic-related restrictions have been removed across the country, we feel the time is right to re-evaluate Canada’s border crossings,” said GNCC CEO Mishka Balsom.

“Niagara’s tourism sector has essentially missed two seasons. Reserves are at an end. Economic recovery requires a strong 2022, and that requires a return of visitors from the United States and further afield. It is already June – a removal of onerous requirements such as the ArriveCAN app cannot come soon enough.”

The GNCC sent a letter to the Prime Minister, to the Ministers of Public Safety, Tourism, and Transport, to Premier Ford, and to Members of Parliament representing border communities. In that letter, the Chamber cited both the importance of the tourism sector to the economies of Niagara, Ontario, and Canada, and recent Statistics Canada data indicating the financial strain they are currently under.

“More than 40,000 local jobs depend on tourism,” added Balsom. “Continuing to hold this sector back will have dire consequences for the entire region. We have asked the Prime Minister to re-evaluate the border situation immediately, and we hope that will result in all remaining restrictions being lifted as soon as possible.”

The full letter can be downloaded here.

The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business in Niagara, the largest business organization in the region and the second-largest Chamber of Commerce in Ontario, with 1,500 members representing 50,000 employees. More information on the GNCC is available at gncc.ca.

Contact:
Mishka Balsom, CEO of GNCC
Mishka@gncc.ca or 905-684-2361