Truck driver Rodney Dueck is used seeing westbound traffic with red and white licence plates during his trips to and from Alberta, but isn鈥檛 comfortable with what he鈥檚 seeing now.
Despite all the concerns and warnings around controlling the spread of COVID-19, the Silver Creek resident said he鈥檚 still seeing plenty of B.C.-bound Alberta traffic.
鈥淚 drive between B.C. and Alberta so I鈥檓 watching them go west鈥� motorhomes, RVs, pickups loaded down with camping gear, U-haul trailers, travel trailers,鈥� said Dueck, upset our Alberta neighbours are choosing this time to visit.
鈥淲hen I can鈥檛 see my grandkids because I don鈥檛 want to infect anybody or I can鈥檛 see my parents because I don鈥檛 want to infect them, I can鈥檛 visit my neighbours across the fence, I can鈥檛 even go to church, and to see these hoards of Albertans flooding into B.C. really annoys me,鈥� said Dueck.
Under normal circumstances Dueck said he values Albertans visiting the B.C., and the Shuswap, and supporting the local economy. But he worries about the impact those visiting now could have on efforts being made in both provinces to 鈥渇latten the curve.鈥�
鈥淥ur hospital supplies are limited already, if they get sick, now we don鈥檛 have enough stuff for our own people let alone all the tourists, and the groceries on the shelves, well, there鈥檚 not enough of that either,鈥� commented Dueck.
鈥漇omebody had made a comment that they had talked to one Albertan and they said, 鈥榳ell, we can鈥檛 do anything in Alberta because it鈥檚 all shut down so we may as well go to our beach house in the Shuswap.鈥� Well, this is not a time for vacation.鈥�
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On Thursday, March 26, B.C. Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth announced new measures under the province鈥檚 state of emergency that went into effect on March 18. Among them, enabling municipal bylaw officers to support enforcement of the provincial health officer鈥檚 orders for business closures and gatherings, carrying fines of more than $25,000 or jail, to be determined by the courts under the authority of the public health act.
鈥淭his is not a drill,鈥� commented B.C. Premier John Horgan. 鈥淭he orders 鈥� they are not suggestions or good advice. They are the law.鈥�
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