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Cost of Living

The line you still can't cross between the United States and Canada

Sixteen months have passed since the closure of the border between Canada and the United States to all but essential travel and commerce. Hear from people on both sides of the border about the effect on both life and business.

Essential travel might be allowed across the border but that leaves a lot out

CBC Radio ·
Sixteen months have passed since the closure of the border between Canada and the United States, including this spot at the Peace Arch Historical State Park in Blaine, Washington. (Elaine Thompson/AP)
Cost of Living8:21The line you still can't cross between the United States and Canada

Sixteen months have passed since the closure of the border between Canada and the United States to all but essential travel and commerce.

While there have been rumours and talk of the border reopening, in mid-June both federal governments agreed to extend the border restrictions until at least July 21.

It was a decision met with concern from businesses dependent on cross-border traffic in cities such as Windsor, Ont. or Port Huron, Michigan. In these border cities, the closure has economic consequences and deep personal effects on local residents. 

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In some months during the pandemic, car trips from Canada through to the United States dropped by more than 93 per cent. That's a lot of money left unspent in border cities. With at least another month before most traffic can resume between the U.S. and Canada, the tourism industry is facing potentially billions of dollars in lost revenue.

It could add up to a second 'lost summer' for tourism businesses, on top of the economic damage the COVID-19 pandemic has already inflicted.

Cost of Living producer Anis Heydari teamed up with NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money to look at what's happening right now in border cities in both countries when crossing the border remains difficult.

Listen to the segment above  — or download and subscribe to the Cost of Living podcast. 

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