Alberta - BC Highway Restrictions

[Urban Cowboy]

That strikes me as irrelevant, considering Ontario is using police to do just that.

Ontario is a province as is BC, so whatever works there should be doable here as well.

I wonder if that is because they have Provincial police force (OPP), BC doesn’t... our main police force is Federal (RCMP).

I can't say but don't see why that would make any difference? Ontario has RCMP as well but I believe mostly for stuff like airports.

At the end of the day police is police and they all have to answer to someone.

[rustled]

Because that's what their leadership decided was necessary, and as hard as it was, what they decided was necessary was what they did.

Here in Canada, here in BC: "It's too difficult." Our governments are not saying "no, we are certain it is not necessary to restrict people from moving around" - they are saying "it's too hard, we can't..."

Again, Unitary Government vs Federal Government.

Ottawa has jurisdiction over this and Provinces have jurisdiction over that.

Things are much easier when you have one level of government that has authority over everything vs a dozen levels of government that can't agree on where to order for lunch.

I think you're ignoring my point, OKkayak. I've underlined it and bolded it this time. "It's too difficult" is NOT the same thing as "It isn't necessary."

Let me put it this way: If our governments believe it IS necessary, shall we accept "It's too difficult" as an excuse not to? I'd like to believe they're not doing it because it is not necessary. And that if it is necessary, they will find a way past the difficulties. Surely THAT is what we should expect.

[OKkayak]

I think you're ignoring my point, OKkayak. I've underlined it and bolded it this time. "It's too difficult" is NOT the same thing as "It isn't necessary."

No, I didn't ignore your point, in fact I directly addressed it. You compared NZ to Canada and I am trying to explain to you why it is much easier to restrict travel there than it is here. I'm not saying its not possible here, but if you have a country where you have a dozen governments butting heads, it is simply not that easy.

If you have one single Government that has authority over everything, it is much easier to restrict travel within that jurisdiction than it is having several levels of Government.

[vegas1500]

Personally have zero desire to live in a country that restricts interprovincial travel......if it gets to that, what next?

[dirtybiker]

Lost souls generally screwing up local roadways are a bane to
my business.
Yet ! I'll defend to my last breath of anyone wanting to travel
freely within their own Country.

We don't hold a bunch of rights, BUT, we have every right to move within the Nations boundaries.

I'll just drop this here ;
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/r ... /art6.html

[OKkayak]

I'll just drop this here ;
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/r ... /art6.html

https://www.mccarthy.ca/en/insights/art ... ial-travel

[dirtybiker]

My view-point. I don't like seeing all the obvious holiday excursion travelers inter-loping
in the area.

I also do not like the idea of being restricted from my own travels for my own purposes,
whatever those purposes may be.

Conflicted.
I also hold very little trust in our Governments and their agendas, at times hidden.

Scrutinize everything.

[mexi cali]

Vegas and dirty; I hear you. But taking the stance that travel restrictions are simply "too much" and would cast us into a draconian era don't hold much water when we're talking about the spread of a highly contagious and at times lethal virus.

I have said many times that we aren't simply fighting the virus, we're fighting those who are unconcerned and those who are unconcerned are so because it hasn't affected them, yet.

We can't trust people to do the right thing. They want it their way. The selfish way. If we could rely on the majority to basically suck it up until we reach herd immunity levels, this isn't a consideration but we can't and as a result, Provinces like Ontario and Quebec and Alberta are seeing increases in the number of cases. That should be enough to convince any reasonable person to sit tight but they won't and we are where we are.

I agree the Governments have managed to shoot themselves in the foot with misinformation but the only information we should require is the knowledge that if we don't take more drastic steps, this whole thing is going to drag on and on.

I don't like the idea of closed borders but I would support it because the actions of those who simply won't adjust their habits and behaviors are adding to an already nasty situation.

My own belief is that had we shut down air travel for a period of time, maybe 30-60 days (I really don't know though) we would have prevented the import of strains that have raised the stakes. Money however won out.

Economically the world is maybe never going to look the same and there are going to be high levels of casualties and that is a painful pill to swallow but the alternative is knocking at our collective door right now.

We aren't winning and we should be.

[alanjh595]

^^^^^^But, I can see why the other 4 provinces, on the above graph, would want to come here and seek refuge^^^^^^^^

[rustled]

I think you're ignoring my point, OKkayak. I've underlined it and bolded it this time. "It's too difficult" is NOT the same thing as "It isn't necessary."

No, I didn't ignore your point, in fact I directly addressed it. You compared NZ to Canada and I am trying to explain to you why it is much easier to restrict travel there than it is here. I'm not saying its not possible here, but if you have a country where you have a dozen governments butting heads, it is simply not that easy.

If you have one single Government that has authority over everything, it is much easier to restrict travel within that jurisdiction than it is having several levels of Government.

I didn't need an explanation as to why it was easier in NZ, though - that's not the point.

If it IS necessary to restrict travel, should we expect our "head butting" governments to find a way past the difficulties? Or should we accept that even if restricting travel IS necessary, we will nevertheless all just have to accept that it is "too difficult"?

[Merry]

They don’t have to man all the inter provincial border crossings. All they have to do is declare non essential inter provincial travel illegal, then give the police authority to stop and question all those driving vehicles with out of province plates.

If they can prove their visit is essential, they can continue on their way. If they can’t - fine them.

[rustled]

They don’t have to man all the inter provincial border crossings. All they have to do is declare non essential inter provincial travel illegal, then give the police authority to stop and question all those driving vehicles with out of province plates.

If they can prove their visit is essential, they can continue on their way. If they can’t - fine them.

That's what NZ did to keep people in their own neighbourhoods. If they were able to come up with the manpower to do that, surely we have the manpower restrict to larger regions.

I would certainly hope that the only reason we are not doing this is because it is not necessary to restrict inter-provincial travel - and NOT because "it's too hard".

[alanjh595]

They don’t have to man all the inter provincial border crossings. All they have to do is declare non essential inter provincial travel illegal, then give the police authority to stop and question all those driving vehicles with out of province plates.

If they can prove their visit is essential, they can continue on their way. If they can’t - fine them.

That would be profiling.
AND
All the U-Haul trucks have Arizona plates.
AND
All semi truck trailers may have out-of-province plates, but the tractors may be from either BC or any other province/state.
AND
There are many out-of-province fleet vehicles that have BC drivers, like Telus.

[GordonH]

Knowing what’s happening in Ontario with new powers given to the OPP.
https://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/33 ... n-hospital

I can only imagine what would happen at BC/Alberta border crossings.

[my5cents]

When things get tough, we see the best and the worst in people.

In time of war many like my father, uncle and grandfather volunteered for service. Others didn't and waited to be drafted and then some managed to fake physical disabilities and stayed home. Of those remaining, some making a very nice living. The best and the worst.

The virus is much more virulent, people are tired of isolation and the changes to our society. We're seeing more and more conducting themselves contrary to the government's "encouragements". As a result the numbers are starting to skyrocket.

In our society, in general which people do we see loosing focus having a lack of a prolonged "stick to it 'ness" the most ? Children. Try to get a child to pay attention for a lengthy period of time. Ask one to sit still for 15 minutes....

Well that trait is also prevalent, in some who are not children. The immature whiners, "we have the right to....", "they can't make me.....", "I heard masks don't work...."

They can't stay at home, and support the effort, they are different, they are special, they are "just...." , "but I haven't seen my <fill in the relative or friend> for a year". When they don't like the restrictions they choose to search out questionable "facts" and attempt to use the cherry picked "facts" to create a false scenario that supports their disobedience to government recommendations.

Asking people to stay at home, to only make essential trips, hasn't and doesn't work. Just like creating a law and then having enforcement authorities to just warn violators.

So here we are, we have toothless governments, making all sorts of recommendations, with sporadic enforcement for the few actual rules created verses the many recommendations.

The governments aren't controlling citizens and have, and are continuing to bungle the vaccination program and are demonstration the gross incompetence that only a government can achieve.

We are in for some interesting times.

You know, "Be Kind, Be Calm, Be Safe. Be Royally 'ed

If the government wants to restrict travel between provinces, then enforce it. If the government doesn't want people to travel throughout the province don't allow travel.

Hint,,,, the pickup getting on a BC Ferry loaded with camping gear, towing a boat, with three kids in the back isn't on an essential business trip.