Ottawa

Ontario-Quebec border restrictions to end Wednesday

Ontario and Quebec have each announced restrictions on non-essential travel between the two provinces will end at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Travel restrictions between Ontario and Manitoba will also be lifted on Wednesday.

Non-essential travel between the provinces has been banned since April

Ottawa police stop drivers crossing into Ontario from Gatineau, Que., on April 19, 2021, the first day of strengthened pandemic rules at the border. On Monday, officials in both provinces announced the order restricting non-essential travel will be lifted. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Ontario and Quebec have each announced restrictions on non-essential travel between the two provinces will end at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

The order banning non-essential travel between the two provinces went into effect in April.

Since then, provincial and local police have intermittently staffed checkpoints at interprovincial crossings and have issued tickets or turned around motorists who don't have essential work, medical or humanitarian reasons to travel between regions.

This also marks the end of Quebec's rule requiring residents returning from Ontario to self-isolate for 14 days.

"I am happy to learn that travel restrictions will be lifted between Ontario and Québec this Wednesday," Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson wrote on Twitter.

‘I’m glad they’ve come to their senses’: Ottawa mayor lauds end of travel restrictions between Ontario, Quebec

3 years ago
Duration 1:02
Non-essential travel between Ontario and Quebec is set to resume on Wednesday after the province introduced restrictions in April. Ottawa mayor Jim Watson says the measures didn’t make sense between Ottawa and Gatineau.

"After months of wasted police resources to control travel around the [National Capital Region], our two highly integrated economic regions will greatly benefit from this decision."

In an interview with Radio-Canada, Watson said he hadn't seen evidence the restrictions between Ottawa and Gatineau helped curb COVID-19 cases in the region.

He said the city would bill the provincial government what it cost to operate the checkpoints, which he estimates to be more than $600,000.

"And they've assured us that they'll be paying for that," Watson said.

Western Quebec moved to yellow zone rules on Monday, allowing some indoor dining and gatherings between households to resume. Ontario is currently in Step 1 of its reopening plan.

Travel restrictions between Ontario and Manitoba will also be lifted on Wednesday.

Traffic in Gatineau, Que., approaches the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge to Ottawa on April 19, 2021, the first day of police checkpoints under Ontario's strengthened stay-at-home order. (Christian Milette/Radio-Canada)

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