Peace Region officials say inter-provincial travel restrictions would hurt local economy
A proposed plan to limit non-essential travel into British Columbia is being met with scepticism in the province’s Peace country.
The B.C. Government has sought legal advice as it is looking into a plan to restrict inter-provincial travel in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but officials from the City of Dawson Creek say a border closure would negatively impact the economy.
Dawson Creek Mayor Dale Bumstead says depending on how strict the closure would be, a lot of industries and residents on both sides of the border could suffer.
“People inside the Alberta border in the agricultural communities and (Saddle Hills County), etcetera, use Dawson Creek as the centre for lots of their trade, both retail and in some cases health care, and obviously for our community going into [Alberta],” says Bumstead.