We know it’s coming. Premier John Horgan announced Monday that “serious measures” would be imposed this week to curb non-essential travel through the May 24 long weekend in an effort to roll back the pandemic’s third wave.
But his big talk was a big disappointment to Sunshine Coasters who were hoping for a major crackdown on unwelcome visitors.
That’s because the new rules are expected to restrict travel “without a legitimate reason” to one’s health authority. Since the Coast is part of the immense Vancouver Coastal Health region, doesn’t that mean people can continue to freely travel here from the North Shore, Vancouver, Richmond and the Sea to Sky Corridor?
Perhaps, but perhaps not. Because the premier also announced that BC Ferries will stop accepting bookings for recreational vehicles such as campers and trailers and will be screening passengers to ensure they are travelling for essential purposes. So will the new ferry restrictions override the health authority boundary provisions?
We are supposed to know Friday when Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth is scheduled to issue the new orders under the Emergency Program Act.
In the meantime, unanswered questions and differences in tone between Horgan and Farnworth have given British Columbians plenty to be confused about.
Are we talking fines or gentle discouragement? How will the rules be enforced and who will do the enforcing? What exactly is essential travel, and who gets to determine that?
And why would provincial officials talk about staying in one’s neighbourhood or “local area” and then permit unchecked travel within vast, sprawling health authority regions with completely arbitrary boundaries?
Rest assured, it will all make sense on Friday.
