N.W.T. tourism operators ask: What does ending the public health emergency 'this spring' actually mean?
CBC
The N.W.T. government hasn't said what restrictions will end with the public health emergency, frustrating local tourism operators who said they wanted to know weeks ago whether borders will be open to leisure travel by the fast approaching summer.
In a news conference last week N.W.T. Health Minister Julie Green said the public health emergency could be ending "this spring," but no details have been given on what that means.
Richard Makohoniuk, a spokesperson for the N.W.T.'s COVID-19 Secretariat, said in an email the territorial government is in the process of figuring that out.
"Progress is being made on the development of a framework to ensure the GNWT takes appropriate steps moving forward, and is committed to ensuring the public is informed of its plan once it has been fully developed," he wrote.
CBC News requested an interview with Green to discuss the announcement, but this was unable to be arranged before the deadline.
Health officials speaking with Loren McGinnis, host of CBC's the Trailbreaker, on Thursday said they are waiting for the Omicron wave to subside in the N.W.T. before allowing leisure travel.
James McPherson runs a tourism business in the Sahtu but said he won't be operating this summer.
McPherson said the most difficult part is not knowing. If he was told outright the borders would be open for the summer, he would be running his business.
"A lot of people are hurting out there and they can't depend on a hope that the borders will open up," he said.
This is the second summer in a row he won't be running his business, which he said is disappointing.
As an Indigenous tourism operator, he offers educational tours for people from the south.
"At a time that people want to start learning more about the Indigenous people," he said. "We still want to share our culture and share who we are… and at a time when people really want to learn these things and travel and learn these new cultures, they can't."
McPherson isn't the only tourism operator feeling discouraged by the uncertainty.
"It's very difficult to plan and organize and run a tourism business just based on the sketchy information we get from the government," said Gordon Gin, owner of Yellow Dog Lodge.
There's stiff competition among prospective home buyers in the St. John's region because the number of listings are unusually low and demand is surging.
Strong attendance and record sponsorship at the Northern Ontario Tourism Summit in North Bay is a good sign the industry is recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Destination Northern Ontario.
A group of Halifax residents is asking the Nova Scotia Supreme Court to look at a provincial decision to greenlight a controversial Fall River development.
Parkside Drive is closed in both directions following reports of a sinkhole, Toronto police say.
The Quebec government will present its fall economic update today.
Aggressive patients and lack of security are making nurses feel unsafe in a rural Western Manitoba emergency union, says the Manitoba Nurses Union.
Saskatoon resident Delynne Bortis knew her commute to work Tuesday morning would be particularly difficult.
WARNING: This story contains details of abuse and intimate partner violence:
The amount of money it takes for people to earn a living wage has increased across the province, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
The new owner of Ontario steelmaker Stelco says his company "will not disappoint the people of Hamilton and Nanticoke," where the business's major facilities are based.
A Winnipegger is warning others about an intricate scam she says she almost fell for.