The United States-Canada border partially reopened in August last year after it was closed for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the partial reopening, residents on both sides of the border still struggle to cross the border due to the testing requirements. Many find it impossible to access an approved test which has prevented many people from being able to see their loved ones and day trippers from visiting the North Country to patronize local businesses. Recently the Canadian government did make minor changes to the testing requirements, but it remains a barrier for many who wish to travel the short distance between the North Country and Canada.

Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) joined local leaders leading up to the two-year anniversary of the border closure to call on both federal governments to create a plan towards easing requirements for crossing the border. “Spring is almost here which means summer is just around the corner,” said Jones. “The North Country cannot afford another summer season where local marinas and RV campgrounds are almost completely empty.Our region has a special relationship with our northern neighbors, and we look forward to seeing our Canadian friends who have second homes and property here. It’s also been extremely challenging for the local transportation manufacturing sector, especially the ones who are Canadian companies, to do business with the border closed. There have been restrictions at the border for almost two years now and we need to start moving efficiently as possible towards reopening the border.”

"It should be stunning at this point to realize that we are quickly approaching the full two-year anniversary of the substantial separation of the American and Canadian people from the historically strong social connectivity that defines the unique U.S.-Canadian relationship," says Garry Douglas, North Country Chamber of Commerce President. "But what remains even more stunning is that we are still, after two years, without any plan, any metrics, and certainly any sense of urgency. And we have substantially lost the high degree of bi-national border policy coordination that existing since 9/11, ending up with essentially two separate borders facing one another with different rules. We need all of our partners to resume strong calls for top level attention, including a plan with target dates that can hopefully get us to near normalcy ahead of summer, and a quick first step by Canada of resuming the 72-hour exemption from testing and early movement toward the current U.S. policy of admission with vaccination. Then we can go from there."