The BC Liberals are calling on the provincial government to bring in some sort of road checks at border crossings with Alberta.
House Leader and Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar says his party would like to see some sort of prevention measures to keep non-essential travellers away until after May long weekend.
“Ninety-five per cent of the province of British Columbia is still available for Albertans to travel. It’s obviously a per capita hot spot across North America, and it’s a concern,” Milobar told NL News. “So if travel restrictions are really meant to try to drive down COVID numbers, it really should be about just essential travel. Whether you’re a British Columbian or whether you’re an Albertan.”
Milobar says Premier John Horgan has not released the specifics about the legal advice the government has received on inter-provincial travel and suggests non-essential travel could be restricted by government.
Speaking to NL News last Friday, B.C.’s Solicitor General says the issue around the provincial border is complicated.
Mike Farnworth says the provincial government is monitoring the COVID-19 situation in the province east of us, telling Albertans not to come to B.C. unless it is essential.
“And even when they come for essential travel, they have to abide by all of the rules and regulations and health orders that are in place here in British Columbia. We will continue to be doing just that,” Farnworth said.
Vancouver based lawyer, Kyla Lee, told NL News there has to be a mutual agreement between the two provinces in order to close the border. She says the provincial government likely isn’t putting road checks at the border because can only make laws that apply to B.C. residents.
“So if you are in Alberta and want to come in to British Columbia, we can’t stop you from coming in. Unless Alberta says that you can’t go to B.C. as well,” Lee said.
“There has to essentially be a mutual agreement between the two provinces in order to close the border. That’s what we see between Ontario and Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba. With the Atlantic bubble there was a mutual agreement.”
Police road checks aimed at preventing non-essential travel in B.C. came into effect on four highways in and out of the Lower Mainland: on the Coquihalla at the old toll booth, on Highway 1 near Boston Bar, on Highway 3 near Manning Park, and on Highway 99 near Lillooet.
Alberta reported 2,211 new cases of COVID-19 today with 24,497 active cases and 654 people in hospital. By comparison, B.C. reported 694 new cases today with 6,802 active cases, and 457 people in hospital.
