Premier Jason Kenney. (Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

Two premiers, 16 governors call for reinstatement of border exemptions for truck drivers

Feb 16, 2022 | 12:45 PM

EDMONTON, AB – Provincial and state government leaders are calling on their respective federal governments to reinstate exemptions for international truck drivers.

Addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden and CC’d to each country’s ambassadors to each other, the letter is signed by Alberta’s Premier Jason Kenney and Saskatchewan’s Scott Moe.

Also providing their signatures are the Governors of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming.

They want to see the countries’ top political leaders reinstate the vaccine and quarantine exemptions available to cross-border commercial truck drivers.

“We understand the vital importance of vaccines in the fight against COVID-19 and continue to encourage eligible individuals to get vaccinated. However, we are deeply concerned that terminating these exemptions has had demonstrably negative impacts on the North American supply chain, the cost of living, and access to essential products for people in both of our countries.”

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Exemptions for truck drivers ended January 15, meaning they would need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to avoid a two-week quarantine and pre-arrival PCR test before entering Canada.

“The timing of your decision to terminate the vaccine and quarantine exemptions could not have been worse,” the letter states.

This is because the politicians say North America has already been facing “grave supply chain constraints,” and combined with inflation, places a “significant burden on the residents of Canada and the United States.”

Stats Canada reported Wednesday that food inflation in the country hit 6.5 per cent in January, marking the biggest year-over-year jump in grocery bills in over a decade. This outpaced the general inflation rate of 5.1 per cent and was at least partially attributed to supply chain disruptions.

READ MORE: Grocery bills climb as food inflation rate hits 6.5 per cent in January

They claim that the lack of exemptions would force thousands of drivers out of the trucking industry, which is already facing a workforce shortage.

“The removal of these exemptions is ultimately unnecessary, and we cannot afford to lose any more truck drivers who transport food and other vital supplies across the border.”

You can read the full letter in Kenney’s tweet below: