April 14, 2022
The two-year pandemic took its toll on people. There were lockdowns. The Canada/US border was closed. Even the Ontario and Quebec border was closed for a while. My community center where I play cards and my gym was closed on and off. People got cabin fever. When our border opened and Covid mandates lifted, people felt like they gained the freedom to get back to life. And jumped for joy.
Joy for Kathy and me comprised taking a quick trip to see grandchildren in Durham, NC. Crossing the border into the US was a pleasure; as in the old days, the US border guard asked where we were going and for how long. That was it. There was no masking required and nobody asked for a vaccine passport.
And Durham was great with the grandson going to a UNC and Virginia Tech ball game where masks were scarce. And they sold beer and popcorn. Refreshing. In the grocery stores, many people wore masks, and nobody paid attention to unmasked people. It was up to you if you wanted to be more cautious and wear a mask.
When talking with people, I found the American attitude towards the virus relaxed. In contrast, my friends at home drop comments about having to be careful: “the current sixth wave is serious”. In the US, people believe they have to live with the virus and take responsibility for their actions.
Coming from Ottawa, the lack of cannabis stores in Durham was a total surprise. It is illegal to sell cannabis in NC. By the last count, there were one hundred and eight cannabis stores in Ottawa, with another forty being considered for licensing by the Ontario authorities. Along the “green mile” on Wellington Street in Ottawa, I heard there are nine cannabis stores. (We should compare this number to the thirty-six liquor stores in Ottawa).
Do we have too many cannabis stores in Ottawa? Will there be an amalgamation of ownership of these stores? I do not know. Are there disadvantages to having so many stores? Some of the BIAs claim cannabis stores on the street can negatively affect other stores coming to the area.
I have not visited cannabis stores, but perhaps, will. For now, I find their storefronts and fancy names outlandish, garish, and suggestive, like: “Dutch Love” and “Spiritleaf”. But obviously, there is a growing market for them.
Coming back to Canada reminded us that Canada still considers the virus a threat: we had to fill out an “arrivecan” form. My Samsung phone stored my data from previous returns to Canada and it took me literally two minutes to fill out the form. Kathy used her iPhone that brought up an outdated “arrivecan” form that demanded proof of an antigen test. She tried to get the most up-to-date form with no success. Do you think the government could get its IT group organized? After a while, I filled out the form for her on my Samsung phone that worked. At the border, the Canadian border official was pleasant, and we crossed the border in a couple of minutes, having our “arrivecan” approved in advance.
On the second day at home, I received an email from Public Health Canada reminding us to quarantine:
“IF YOU:
| Were NOT randomly selected to complete COVID-19 molecular testing |
THEN, YOU MUST:
| for the 14 days after you entered Canada, monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19; and maintain a list of the names and contact information of every person you have come into close contact with during the 14 days AND all of the places you have been”. |
It was not clear why this requirement exists: I thought with our three vaccinations we were safe, and quarantining was unnecessary. The email explained that people arriving from outside Canada need to quarantine, but it was blurry if coming back is from the US or elsewhere. I wish the government people could write clearly.
andrasthehun.ca 