BC's Premier wants to shut down provincial borders. What does that mean for Ski Hills

[kootenayskier]

The issue in my community, and which is being overlooked in the Provincial messaging, is that transmission within a community only happens once it’s arrived and circulating. Remote communities that don’t currently have COVID cases, see what has happened in Big White, Whistler, Revelstoke, and Fernie, and are looking for Provincial help to minimize the chances of being next on that ignominious list. We know that when it starts circulating amongst our resort workers, our schools, closes down our only supermarket, and gets into our long term care homes.....we’re screwed. To everyone I know, turning a blind eye to a low level of non essential tourism just to pad a few businesses bottom line isn’t worth the risk.

[nickinbc]

I wonder how effective contact tracing is when a visitor from another province has been in contact with a positive case in BC? And vice-versa when someone who visited BC from another province tests positive after returning home. Wouldn't surprise me if contact tracing is a LOT less effective when it involves inter-provincial travel (and maybe also when it involves travel between health districts within a province).

[pano-dude]

The issue in my community, and which is being overlooked in the Provincial messaging, is that transmission within a community only happens once it’s arrived and circulating. Remote communities that don’t currently have COVID cases, see what has happened in Big White, Whistler, Revelstoke, and Fernie, and are looking for Provincial help to minimize the chances of being next on that ignominious list. We know that when it starts circulating amongst our resort workers, our schools, closes down our only supermarket, and gets into our long term care homes.....we’re screwed. To everyone I know, turning a blind eye to a low level of non essential tourism just to pad a few businesses bottom line isn’t worth the risk.

I'm guessing you do not operate or work in one of the tourism based businesses.




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[unclebill]

Its interesting how just a year ago even the mention of the country of origin or what could be done to stop the spread from there to here was immediately slapped down as racism. But now its perfectly acceptable to lay the blame on each other here.

[gearhunter]

Doesn’t help when assholes are having end of quarantine parties at the Central ‘hotel’ in Fernie. Really smart, get off quarantine because you partied and then have a party
to celebrate. These young fucks sure are dumb.

[Snow Dog]

The issue in my community, and which is being overlooked in the Provincial messaging, is that transmission within a community only happens once it’s arrived and circulating. Remote communities that don’t currently have COVID cases, see what has happened in Big White, Whistler, Revelstoke, and Fernie, and are looking for Provincial help to minimize the chances of being next on that ignominious list. We know that when it starts circulating amongst our resort workers, our schools, closes down our only supermarket, and gets into our long term care homes.....we’re screwed. To everyone I know, turning a blind eye to a low level of non essential tourism just to pad a few businesses bottom line isn’t worth the risk.

Places like Big White, Whistler, Revy and Fernie aren't remote communities. Revy is part of a major transportation corridor. The rest are resort towns and have significant vacation homes and short term visitors from the surrounding communities.

No community is self-sufficient and able to isolate. There's always external goods and services coming to town and there's always locals who have business elsewhere. It could be medical or education or work that takes locals out of town and when they come back they may bring a new little friend.

[nickinbc]

Revelstoke is indeed on a major transportation corridor. And throughout the summer and fall there were hardly any cases of covid in Revelstoke. That suddenly changed in a big way early in the winter. It happened before RMR opened for the season but I would be surprised if there wasn't a link to the arrival of seasonal workers and sledders.

[XXX-er]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...d-19-1.5891425

1 doz cases at the fairmont

Cases per capita in Howe Sound region 2 to 13 times higher than the rest of southwest B.C., BCCDC says

[snoboy]

I'm guessing you do not operate or work in one of the tourism based businesses.

Not to speak for kootenayskier - but you guess wrong.

I also work for a tourism based employer, and I would support enforcing limits on travel. What he says above is our biggest worry in my town. I'd rather see a low level of activity limited to locals then see everything shut down and be out of work because a visitor introduced COVID to our community because they thought that their ski trip was essential. On top of that is my desire to stay healthy.

[teamdirt]

Why is it that it’s all BC folk with there arms up in the air? Nobody seems to think it’s a news item in Alberta... Banff/jasper/Canmore are all busy with tourists and it doesn’t seem to be effecting #’s here....

Covid isn’t going away anytime soon. Time to start adapting to it being around for those of you hiding in a cave...

[Shorty_J]

Why is the assumption that it come from someone traveling to these small towns and not someone in a small town bringing it home from somewhere else?

I guess if you have to isolate upon return even if you live in BC then it's a wash.... but there's no way to know how it got there.

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[pano-dude]

Not to speak for kootenayskier - but you guess wrong.

I also work for a tourism based employer, and I would support enforcing limits on travel. What he says above is our biggest worry in my town. I'd rather see a low level of activity limited to locals then see everything shut down and be out of work because a visitor introduced COVID to our community because they thought that their ski trip was essential. On top of that is my desire to stay healthy.

So you're ok with being on government subsidies? Have you talked to your employer about it? Guess who is going to have to pay those subsidies back? Your employer and every other small business like me in Canada. You probably won't be getting a raise anytime soon and you may not have a job to go back to unfortunately.
Be careful of what you ask for. The solution could be worse than the problem.


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[pano-dude]

Why is the assumption that it come from someone traveling to these small towns and not someone in a small town bringing it home from somewhere else?

I guess if you have to isolate upon return even if you live in BC then it's a wash.... but there's no way to know how it got there.

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This is a fair question and I said it earlier the Revy outbreak started with locals travelling and bringing it back.


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[nickinbc]

Well | didn't notice a total absence of Revelstoke locals traveling during the summer and fall followed by a sudden increase in travel in November (3 cases in the spring, none after that until November...)

[gearhunter]

Well | didn't notice a total absence of Revelstoke locals traveling during the summer and fall followed by a sudden increase in travel in November (3 cases in the spring, none after that until November...)

Yup, same in Fernie. But Pano-Dude knows where the virus came from so...

[BCMtnHound]

All it takes is one infected idiot at a party. Doesn't matter if it was a local or tourist. The source isn't the problem - it's the behaviour.

[Shorty_J]

The source isn't the problem - it's the behaviour.

Well said.

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[paulster2626]

Wish the provinces would just shut it all the fuck down at once. Just do it already so people can start rescheduling and getting refunds/credits on shit.

But, it'll all happen last minute and we'll get fucked. As is tradition.

[SnowCreekChad]

All it takes is one infected idiot at a party. Doesn't matter if it was a local or tourist. The source isn't the problem - it's the behaviour.

Totally agree. The focus needs to change to behaviour. This virus is going to be with us for a long time.

[Shorty_J]

Totally agree. The focus needs to change to behaviour. This virus is going to be with us for a long time.

The focus has been on behaviour since the beginning... it's just that it's nearly impossible to police the entire population and a LOT of people are knowingly getting together anyway.

I know a lot of who I would have considered "smart" people who are doing it regularly.

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[XXX-er]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tru...ures-1.5892992

JT sez now is not the time to be flying

speculate amongst yourselves what that means to skiers ?

[paulster2626]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tru...ures-1.5892992

JT sez now is not the time to be flying

speculate amongst yourselves what that means to skiers ?

International closures meant to keep new variants at bay. Read between the lines man it means flying to Whistler and Revy is a go! <fingermoustache.jpg>

[eldereldo]

Guess not, mandatory quarantine at your expense until a Covid test you take when you arrive comes back negative, then at your residence for the rest of 14 days with increased checks. If you come pack positive then you are paying for quarantine until you are negative.

[Snow Dog]

Too little too late. There have been more than 7 million entries to Canada as of December 17. My brother's neighbour (in Langley BC) has stores in Bellingham and crosses the border daily without issue. Truckers go back and forth without any tests or health checks too.

Nothing to see here -- move along.

[The AD]

Why is the assumption that it come from someone traveling to these small towns and not someone in a small town bringing it home from somewhere else?

Because people always want to think it's everyone else who's the problem. It's human nature. It's those damn tourists bringin' it in!