Reopening of borders | Small tourist exodus to Vermont

The land borders between Canada and the United States now reopened, Press traveled to Burlington to see if Quebecers are back in the city of Vermont, where they are usually numerous.

Marissa Groguhe
Press

(Burlington, Vermont) “I Remember” license plates are still rare in Burlington. We spent 24 hours there, under a rainy sky, which did not invite much to the walk. No word of French was spoken around us, although we know that it is usually common to meet Quebeckers on every street corner in this tourist town on the east of Lake Champlain.

That’s not to say that the open borders haven’t caused a little rush to the bustling streets of Burlington. In the shops and restaurants of the city, everyone is categorical: as soon as the land passage to the south reopened, there was a small tourist exodus of “French Canadians”, as the locals call them. Nothing that does not yet compare to the usual Quebec presence, but a return to normal that is much appreciated.

“I notice that tourism is increasing and particularly from Quebec since the borders reopened. It’s very pleasant, ”he adds.

At the Black Cap café, a little further down Church Street, the city’s main pedestrian thoroughfare, the same phenomenon was observed. “There are a lot more people from Quebec lately than since the start of the pandemic,” says Parker Morse, employee of the small establishment, crossed on the spot. Everyone seems really happy to be back, you hear a lot of people say it’s been over a year since they came. “

Burlington, a safe destination

At the August First bakery on Saturday morning, the seats are all occupied (even outside, in the uninviting weather) and the line in front of the counter never diminishes. The service is efficient, we can see that we are used to this traffic. From dinner time, the same picture emerges at the French-inspired bistro Leunig’s, which quickly fills up during our visit.

Even without the presence of Quebecers, tourism has not suffered too much in Burlington. “I didn’t really feel the difference, actually,” says John Mensen. I think people have seen that Vermont is a very safe state in relation to the rate of COVID-19 infections. So we saw a lot of people from outside arriving. ”

Limited in their options for a change of scenery, many residents of other US states seem to have set their sights on Burlington, so much so that at Ten Thousand Villages, the clientele has tripled. The same goes for the independent bookstore of new and used books Crow. Behind her cash register, Alexandra Rutan confirms that “the last year has been crazy for tourists”. “It comes from everywhere,” she adds. I feel like this is the new normal, Burlington has become the new hot spot. ”

She also hears more and more French in the streets of her city. “We love having these tourists, it brings a great diversity to the region, a bit as if we were no longer even in the United States. We lost that somewhat magical feeling when the border closed, ”she said, noting that although the influx of travelers is at its peak in the summer,“ they are usually there all year round ”.

Cross the border safely

“We missed our customers from Canada,” says Lyne Carey, manager of the Golden Hour gift shop. We are delighted to welcome them back because it is a big part of our business. »She is delighted to see the journalists of Press wear the mask in his store. For those who have had to adapt their offer in times of pandemic (in particular by offering a delivery service), the gradual return to life before must still be done in the rules. She hopes that the arrival of tourists will not cause an increase in COVID-19 cases. “The best is to be careful and hopefully things will stay the same here. “

In Anne Goldman’s distillery, the Smuggler’s Notch, we find the owner on our arrival giving a couple of customers a taste of hard liquor. She greets us with the warm smile that most Burlington merchants display. When we inform her that we have arrived from Montreal, Anne exclaims with enthusiasm. She knows that more and more Quebecers are crisscrossing the city lately, but she has not yet seen one at her store.

“It changes everything,” she said. My husband was just asking me last night if I had met any Canadians and I told him no. It’s been such a long time. And I understand that for some people it is still scary to travel. But we need them to come back. I can’t wait to hear more French, to make conversation with them. It’s always so the fun. Come back to see us! “

Visit the City of Burlington website

Sanitary measures in Vermont

Vermont State Public Health recommends wearing a mask in indoor public places, but it is not mandatory. Physical distancing is no longer mandatory either. The vaccination rate is high in Vermont (over 90%), but since transmission occurs mainly in social situations, it is recommended to stay outdoors as much as possible to meet, avoid crowded spaces, always disinfect his hands well. No proof of vaccination is required in places such as restaurants, bars or theaters, but some establishments may require it.

Reminder of the requirements at the Canada-U.S. Land border

To enter the United States, you must be doubly vaccinated and show proof of vaccination, but not a negative COVID-19 test. Vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca, in particular, are accepted, as are combination vaccines. To return to Canada, you must present a negative result to a molecular test (PCR), carried out less than 72 hours before crossing the border, which can be done in Canada if the duration of your escapade is less than three days.