With Existing Shutdown Extension Deadline Less Than Two Weeks Away Border Community Says Another Holiday Season Without Our Canadian Neighbors Would be Devastating
A News Release from the Office of Brian Higgins, U.S. Congressman for the Niagara Falls and Buffalo, New York area
Posted October 9th, 2021 on Niagara At Large
Buffalo, New York area Congressman Brian Higgins speaking on American shores of Niagara River about need to let Canadians cross border bridges again
Niagara Falls, New York – Business and community leaders in Niagara Falls, New York are calling on the United States government to reopen its land border to Canadians.
Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) and City of Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino joined leaders and members of the Niagara USA Chamber to emphasize the devastating impact extended border restrictions are having on the City of Niagara Falls and communities across the greater Western New York region which typically see millions of people cross the Buffalo-Niagara land border annually.
The U.S. Travel Association reports the U.S. economy is losing $439 million a month as a result of the extended border shutdown.
In the City of Niagara Falls, sales tax revenue collected from local hotels, shops and restaurants decreased by 26% in 2020 compared to 2019 levels.
Despite the gradual return to normal business in 2021 and increased domestic travel by Americans, sales tax receipts in Niagara Falls remain down 10% this year. In addition, bed tax revenues in 2021, year to date, are down 11% when compared to 2019 numbers and parking revenue collected from the downtown tourist district is down 23%.
“With high vaccination rates in both the United States and Canada, there is no reason why the United States is continuing to shut out our vaccinated Canadian friends,” said Congressman Higgins. “The shutdown has had devastating effects on our binational economies.
With Niagara, Ontario skyline and Rainbow Bridge as a backdrop, American political and business leaders urge the U.S. Biden administration to open the border bridges to fully vaccinated Canadians
Border policy right now is contributing to our economic problems. By reopening the border, we make it part of our economic solution.”
“The City of Niagara Falls has experienced a significant decrease in revenue within the past 2 years since the pandemic began and compounded by the border closure,” said City of Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino. “The continued closure of the border to our Canadian neighbors only further contributes to the economic stress we’ve been experiencing here in Niagara Falls.”
“While we can measure the losses to the region from this prolonged border crossing closure there are also many unmeasurables, such as the loss of potential business growth, loss of binational business relationships, and the loss of potential expansion of business within the region.
“We must end this illogical closure before our businesses suffer irreparable consequences,” stated Kory Schuler, Executive Director of the Niagara USA Chamber, one of the region’s largest business advocacy organizations.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, before the pandemic, in 2019 over 10.5 million people crossed into the United States in passenger vehicles through Buffalo Niagara Falls border crossings.
The border restrictions have resulted in close to 9 million fewer people, just 1.7 million individuals, crossing by passenger vehicle into the Buffalo Niagara region in 2020. Unless restrictions are lifted, 2021 crossings will be drastically lower.
The border between the United States and Canada first closed to non-essential travel in March of 2020. Canada reopened its border to vaccinated Americans on August 9, 2021. The U.S. government has continued to keep its land ports of entry closed to incoming Canadians. The existing order is set to expire on October 21, 2021.
Congressman Higgins, who serves as Co-chair of the Northern Border Caucus and the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group continues to press for action to open the border. Last week Higgins spoke with White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients and this week the Congressman discussed binational coordination with a Canadian Member of Parliament Randy Hoback.
More than one year and a half and counting. The ban on Canadians crossing the Peace Bridge and other border crossings to the United States continues, even though Canada’s government began letting fully vaccinated Americans cross this past August
During a White House briefing on October 4th, Press Secretary Jen Psaki responded to questions about the Administration’s travel guidance by saying, “I would point to the CDC. As you know, we’re going to have an update on our international travel guidelines as we get closer to November. Early November remains the timeline that we’re focused on, but I will leave it to our health experts to outline more specifics.”
On September 20th the White House announced it plans to reopen the U.S. to vaccinated foreign air travelers from 33 countries in November. Guidance has yet to be released. Canadians have been permitted to fly into U.S. airports, but are unable to drive across the border, a policy Niagara Falls, New York business and government leaders call illogical, unfair and devastating for border communities.
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