Officials in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, said this week that they’re getting ready for more travellers to and from Canada after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signalled the border could start reopening next month.
Sault Ste. Marie’s economic development corporation CEO Jeff Holt said his region is highly dependent on trade and tourism to and from Canada, but many businesses have been in hibernation while the pandemic limits customers.
Getting ready for an increase in cross-border traffic will take some work, Holt said. “Employers are having a hard time finding staff, so, when the border does open up, our businesses better be ready for it, and they’ll do everything they can to gear up for that influx.”
Trudeau told a virtual meeting of Canada’s provincial and territorial leaders that fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents could start to cross into Canada for non-essential travel in mid August, according to a readout of the call provided by the prime minister’s office.
Holt said any increase to border crossings will be a benefit to the economy in the eastern U.P.