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| Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach on the line at the Stewart/Hyder border, the MP is lending his name to calls for a relaxation of border closure policies between the two communities (Photo From MP's Facebook page) |
It's not quite like the call to tear down the Berlin Wall, but more a case of just being kind and neighbourly (or neighborly depending on which side of the line your are); as calls continue for some relaxation on strict Canada/US border rules in the Stewart area.
Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach is the latest to share a bit of empathy for the residents of neighbouring Hyder, Alaska, that after a tour of the Stewart/Hyder area to see how the COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on the two tightly knit communities.
In a post to his Social media stream over the weekend, the MP who represents the Stewart region in the House of Commons noted how the current Canada/US border closure and quarantine provisions are leading to social isolation. A situation which has cut the Hyder residents off from many of the services they previously had access to.
The Hyder situation is a unique one in BC (along with Point Roberts Washington), where the only access that residents have by road outside their community is through Canada.
The result of which makes Hyder very much an isolated community from the rest of the state as it has no road access to Alaska and for the most part residents rely on Canadian goods and services for their day to day life.
As part of his review of the situation, the MP observed how he will be working with the NDP's foreign affairs critic in taking the issue to the government towards a solution, while noting how he and his party remain committed to keeping the larger Canadian border points between the two countries closed.
The topic of reopening the border between Hyder and Stewart was a prominent theme last week, with Dr. Bonnie Henry noting of the special circumstances in place and suggesting that it was a situation for politicians to explore and resolve.
The call for the Stewart/Hyder solution comes as many British Columbians continue to express concerns over travelling Americans and others through the region on their way to border crossings further north in Alaska.
A look at some of the notes on the Stewart/Hyder situation can be reviewed below:
Northern BC border town pushes for international bubble with Alaska neighbours
A northern Canadian Town wants to bubble with Part of Alaska
Remote neighbours Stewart and Hyder ask for border rules to be relaxed
For more notes related to Mr. Bachrach's work at the House of Commons see our archive page here.
Cross posted from the North Coast Review.
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