British Columbia looks to create its own pandemic bubble

government is reviewing legal advice on whether it can restrict non-essential travel across provincial boundaries as frustrations mount about non-resident visitors who ignore requests to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

would be the largest province to impose restrictions on interprovincial travellers, an extraordinary step in the fight to contain the pandemic.

The Atlantic provinces have maintained restrictions for non-residents for months, requiring all non-essential visitors to quarantine for two weeks.

Pandemic travel restrictions imposed by the Newfoundland and Labrador government also survived a Charter challenge.

Horgan has said Canadians have Charter-protected mobility rights within the country, and closing the province to other Canadians was initially dismissed as impractical, in part because of the large number of Albertans who own recreational property in B.C.

While no members of B.C.’s legislative assembly left the province over the holidays, he said, the stories “led to a firestorm of frustration and anger, because Canadians and British Columbians are making sacrifices, and one of those sacrifices is staying close to home, not travelling to see loved ones, not going to tend to what would have been traditions, or pressing matters; the loss of life of a loved one in another part of the country.”.

The Premier expressed frustration that directions from provincial and territorial leaders to discourage non-essential travel around the country have been ineffective.

The organization’s executive director, Shane Devenish, said in an interview that his organization would oppose any attempt to curb cross-country travel.

Canada’s four Atlantic provinces have had barriers to non-essential travel from other parts of the country since the pandemic began.

“It’s certainly been the recommendations throughout much of this [pandemic] that people shouldn’t be travelling around for non-essential reasons,” she said.

can expect a Charter challenge if it attempts to impose travel restrictions on Canadians outside its boundaries, but it could defend limits if it can demonstrate that those infringements are reasonable to protect public health.

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