David Raymond Amos @DavidRayAmos
Replying to @DavidRayAmos @alllibertynews and 49 others
Methinks Higgy et al must understand why I giggle every time my sneaky Green Meanie cousin Megan Mitton and the evil ex-cop Carl Urquhart are quoted by CBC N'esy Pas?
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/07/mlas-in-new-brunswick-and-nova-scotia.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/mlas-atlantic-bubble-1.5640274
MLAs in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia say Atlantic bubble needs some work
With the long wait times at border, it can't even be considered a bubble, says New Brunswick Green Party MLA
CBC News · Posted: Jul 07, 2020 11:56 AM AT
There were long lineups waiting to cross into New Brunswick on the first day of the Atlantic bubble Friday. (Submitted by Trevor Wilson)
After the launch of the Atlantic bubble on Friday MLAs from both sides of the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick border agree the system needs work.
Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin, Nova Scotia MLA for Cumberland North, said Friday was a "colossal disaster."
McCrossin is a registered nurse and was shocked by how unsafe the slow-moving traffic was on the first day the Atlantic provinces opened their borders to each other.
"One woman sent me a message saying that she could see 20 different people in ditches defecating and urinating, for example," she told Information Morning Moncton. "It's terrible, but this is what was going on," she told Information Morning Moncton.
Because of the need to provide certain information at border checkpoints, lineups formed quickly, especially at Aulac. By late afternoon cars in both directions were being waved across the border without being stopped.
The plan had been to ask for proof of Atlantic residency, and for certain health and contact information.
Green MLA Megan Mitton said there wasn't enough planning for the launch of the Atlantic bubble. (CBC)
McCrossin, a Progressive Conservative, said the long wait in traffic was dangerous for animals too.
"We had transfer trucks with live animals on them that potentially were in danger. We had to make special circumstances to get them through."
Megan Mitton, the New Brunswick MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar, said she inquired in advance about how essential workers were going to get through the border efficiently.
"There wasn't enough planning in advance," she said. "It still seems that the systems have not been worked out."
Mitton wants attention refocused on airports and the Quebec border, which generally is not open to people who don't fall under certain exceptions, such as essential workers or cottagers with property in the region.
Information Morning - Moncton
MLAs on both sides of the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border raise concerns about crossing
Megan
Mitton is the New Brunswick MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar. Elizabeth
Smith-McCrossin is the Nova Scotia MLA Cumberland North. 12:26
"[The four provinces] have not agreed even to similar regulations around airports and how they're going to deal with protecting this bubble because the idea is that people within the bubble don't have community spread right now."
McCrossin said that in Nova Scotia they need to do better with contact tracing and monitoring people who are arriving from outside of the bubble.
However, it's not all bad. Both MLAs agree bubble is a good thing. McCrossin said the chaos just shows how important both border communities are to one another.
"It really shows the value and just how significant our border is to both provinces, and I think it's been underestimated, certainly, by my premier in Nova Scotia."
Mitton said it's been a positive experience for a lot of people being able to reunite with family but challenges remain.
"This isn't really a bubble at this point. It certainly doesn't feel like it to the people who waited for hours and hours," she said.
With files from Information Morning Moncton
63 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.
David Amos
Methinks the spindoctors employed by the 4 Maritime premiers and all their political foes must enjoy the circus as much as I do N'esy Pas?
David Amos
Methinks Higgy et al must understand why I giggle every time my cousin is quoted in the news N'esy Pas?
David Amos
Reply to @David Amos:
Methinks my MLA Wetmore and his leader Higgy must know that their
fellow Progressive Conservative Party member Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin
is my Clan's MLA in Nova Scotia No doubt Madame Mitton does N'esy Pas?
Lou Bell
Reply to @David Amos:
Why ? Do they have a ME Party in Nova Scotia ? Are they huge nuisances
and nothing more ? Or are they 180 dgrees the opposite of Dave ? Only
reason I can think they'd know or even care !
Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos: Methinks I'd put $100 on the table she wouldn't even admit to knowing who you are. Heck make it $1000
Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos: Missed ya buddy, phone turned off? Bottle picking by the highway isn't as lucrative during COVID is it?
Terry Tibbs
Too bad the provincial planning department were all out of office attending a course outlining the fundamentals of creative shoelace tying? (and next week I hear the varnishing of paper cups course is very popular amongst the patronage appointed)
David Amos
Reply to @Terry
Tibbs: Methinks a lot of them were down in my neck of the woods
yesterday listening to Higgy and Franky Boy brag about the Fundy Trail
which I and a lot of friends of mine opposed many moons ago N'esy Pas?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/atlantic-bubble-aulac-border-traffic-technology-public-safety-1.5638816
Vehicles will get waved through border checks if lines too long, says Public Safety minister
Carl Urquhart has instructed staff to keep traffic backups 'manageable'
· CBC News · Posted: Jul 07, 2020 6:56 AM AT
Public Safety Minister Carl Urquhart said the province wants to make the border experience as easy as possible for travellers. (CBC)
Public Safety Minister Carl Urquhart says he's looking for ways to improve the Atlantic bubble border screening process, but if traffic gets backed up at checkpoints again this weekend, he has instructed staff to wave vehicles through again until the lineups become manageable.
"It's not something that you want to do, but it's something that you've got two options," he said. "Do you leave … the lineups, or do you move them through?"
If a COVID-19 outbreak occurred, the government would try to notify everyone who didn't get registered by using social media and other outlets, Urquhart said.
Last Friday, the first day of the Atlantic bubble, vehicles from Nova Scotia were waved through at Aulac without any of the planned COVID-19 screening or collection of traveller details that could be used for contact tracing in the event of an outbreak.
In fact, about 10 per cent of all vehicles that entered the province between Friday and Monday entered at Aulac without processing — 5,665, according to the premier's office.
On Tuesday, Urquhart said it wasn't a "dangerous situation."
But the lineup was "outweighing what we felt at the time we should do to the people."
He underestimated both the volume of traffic and the tolerance of motorists, he said.
It was his decision to forego screening until the lineups became "manageable again," after discussing the matter with Public Health.
"They understood it had to be done," he said. "And they felt that was quite doable."
Last Friday afternoon, the government decided to forego screening at the Aulac border crossing because traffic congestion represented a safety concern, according to the Department of Public Safety. (Kate Letterick/CBC)
The four Atlantic provinces have opened up their borders to each other, allowing people to travel within the region for non-essential reasons without having to self-isolate for 14 days after crossing a provincial boundary.
New Brunswick has had checkpoints at its Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Quebec borders since March 25. The Atlantic bubble was portrayed as a big step in recovery after much of the economy was shut down because of the coronavirus.
For the bubble, New Brunswick's plan was to ask for proof of Atlantic residency, a filled-out health questionnaire from each vehicle, and traveller contact information.
Urquhart acknowledged Tuesday the importance of screening people coming into the province.
"We don't want to lose sight of the big picture. We are still in a pandemic and New Brunswick has done very good on controlling the situation when there is a breakout," he said.
Need to balance objectives
But "you get to a point you've got to balance your objective and the objective was to keep people safe. And at the same time, we are in the Atlantic bubble.""If I had said, 'Look it's a health issue … we're leaving [the Aulac checkpoint] the way it is and the lineup will work its way through,' the risk is about the same," said Urquhart. "It's just a decision that we felt that we can, by opening it up, the risk is not as bad and we wanted to get the people moving."
Urquhart said plans to talk to Public Health about possibly cutting back on the number of questions officers need to ask when it's busy.
"We just want to make the experience as easy as we can."
Risk is 'very low'
The province's chief medical officer of health did not respond to questions about what Public Health is doing now that border protocol has been broken."We understand that over the weekend with the implementation of the Atlantic Bubble there was an influx of vehicles and some exceptions were made to ensure traffic safety," Dr. Jennifer Russell said in an emailed statement.
"While the risk in this region is very low, Atlantic Canadians should be self-monitoring at all times, including on vacation, and should call 811 or their primary health-care provider should symptoms occur."
'Not a good thing'
An epidemiologist says failing to gather that information for the vehicles waved through at Aulac was "not a good thing.""The price of having a bubble of multiple provinces is diligence," said Raywat Deonandan, an associate professor with the faculty of health sciences at the University of Ottawa.
"We're in a strange new time in history where we don't really know how things will really unfold and what exactly to do, so it behooves us to do things carefully and to collect information," he said.
Raywat Deonandan, an Ottawa-based epidemiologist, said having online pre-registration and dedicated lanes for trucks and essential workers should help alleviate congestion at the border checkpoints. (Supplied by Raywat Deonandan)
"Anything that compromises our ability to have clean information about who is present, when they came out, what the situation was, potentially compromises our Public Health response."
Another possible "danger" of simply waving people through, said Deonandan, is that someone from outside of the four Atlantic provinces could get "smuggled in."
"You don't want a traveller from the U.S., for example, having free access to your clean bubble because it represents a potential infection threat," he said.
Long waits may become the norm
The decision to wave vehicles through "probably won't result in anything bad," according to Deonandan.But if an outbreak occurs, officials need to know why and how and where and who and when. "That's what it comes down to."
"It's a tough thing for a lot of people to understand — 'Why am I stuck at the border? I don't have this disease and you know it's so rare in this province anyway, why must I wait?'"
He said he understands people have a psychological need to keep moving and that means border officials may be faced with tempers, but multiple-hour waits are not unusual at international borders.
"So that will probably become the norm here for a while as well. And that's just the way it has to be."
Technology solution coming soon
The Department of Public Safety will launch in the coming days days a "technology-enabled solution" to the traffic problems, said a spokesperson.It will "help speed up traffic flow," said Coreen Enos.
She did not provide any other details but did reveal a clue.
"Until the new technology is fully implemented," she said, "travellers entering New Brunswick can help speed up the process by printing and filling out the roadside questionnaire and having it ready when they arrive at the border."
It takes a few minutes to process each car but people have the option of printing out the questionnaire and filling it out before arrival to save some time during screening. (Kate Letterick )
Prince Edward Island has an online self-declaration form visitors from the other three Atlantic provinces must submit at least a day before their scheduled arrival in order to enter. They must also print a copy of their completed form and bring it with them.
Last Tuesday, the minister told CBC News the province would be moving away from a manual system for gathering info about travellers and details would be available soon.
"Currently, all of this information is recorded manually. We are working towards the implementation of a new system that will assist travellers coming into New Brunswick and will expedite things at the border," Urquhart had said.
Higgs says waits were 'excessive'
Before the bubble opened, Premier Blaine Higgs said his government was prepared for the additional traffic and promised that checkpoints at the P.E.I. and Nova Scotia borders would be adequately staffed.On Tuesday, at a Fundy Trail Parkway announcement in Sussex, Higgs told reporters the traffic on the first day was "a little more than we expected."
"There were periods of time when the wait times became excessive, like two hours plus, and in a lot of cases commercial traffic was tied up in the middle of it."
Public Safety officials had to "relieve the pressure" because people were waiting too long, he said.
Premier Blaine Higgs was unavailable Monday for an interview about the border problems. (CBC)
The Department of Public Safety confirmed Friday night that for safety reasons, officers began at 3:45 p.m. to let vehicles into New Brunswick without checking on anything.
"This continued until congestion no longer represented a safety concern," department spokesperson Shawn Berry had said, without providing a time.
More than 17,000 vehicles entered the province that day, including 9,100 at Aulac, according to the government's dashboard of COVID-19-related statistics. It's unclear if the vehicles that were waved through were included in the statistics.
Overall this weekend, travel proceeded smoothly.
- Coreen Enos, Department of Public SafetyEnos would not estimate how many vehicles were let through without stopping, explain why things didn't work at the border that day, or what safety concern the long lineup posed.
"Overall this weekend, travel proceeded smoothly," she said in an emailed statement.
"Very heavy traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway at the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia border meant some delays at times in both directions.
"When the lineup got long enough to pose a safety concern, vehicles from Atlantic Canada were allowed to enter without being checked. The normal process resumed when it was safe to do so."
Earlier, another spokesperson for the department said Nova Scotia took similar action when lineups got too long.
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have different rules for what happens at the border.
Improvements underway
Some improvements have since been made, said Enos.New Brunswick vehicles, commercial traffic and daily commuters with work passes, as well as those with a Prince Edward Island travel permit, are being "expedited" as they enter New Brunswick from Nova Scotia, she said without elaborating.
Public Safety has also been working with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure to change the physical layout of screening points to "improve traffic flow.
"We made some changes over the weekend and we expect to make more this week," Enos said. She did not describe the changes.
The minister said he's looking into staffing and signage changes that will speed things up this weekend.
He also wants to look at telling people when the peak times are in hopes of staggering travel times.
"If there is an extensive lineup, I've instructed [staff] to open it up and get it manageable again so that people aren't stuck in their cars for two or three hours."
It's been almost two weeks since New Brunswick Public Health recorded any new cases of COVID-19 in the province.
As of Monday, there is still one active case in the Campbellton region, also known as Zone 5, but no one in hospital with the respiratory disease, according to the government website.
The last time New Brunswick recorded a new case of COVID-19 was on June 23.
As of Monday, there are four active cases in Nova Scotia, five in Prince Edward Island and none in Newfoundland.
With files from Information Morning Fredericton
91 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.
David Amos
Surprise Surprise Surprise
Ben Haroldson
Reply to @David Amos: I can't wait till the next election. Hopefully you put your hat in again.
David Amos
Reply to @Ben Haroldson: I am considering it
Johnny Almar
This is beyond dumb.
David Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @Johnny Almar: What else would you expect from your heroes???
Johnny Almar
Content disabled
Reply to @David Amos: Arrest you
David Amos
Content disabled
Reply to @Johnny Almar: Snitches get stitches
James Edward
what a nanny state, it's a bad flu
Johnny
Almar
Reply to @James Edward: to some it’s not even that. To others it’s life threatening.
But so is seasonal flu.
Now we’ve got bunny Ebola.
We can’t live in a bubble forever but there should be no barriers to travel within says bubble. Especially when they wave them through if it’s too busy. Defeats the purpose unless the real purpose is control.
But so is seasonal flu.
Now we’ve got bunny Ebola.
We can’t live in a bubble forever but there should be no barriers to travel within says bubble. Especially when they wave them through if it’s too busy. Defeats the purpose unless the real purpose is control.
David Amos
Reply to @Johnny
Almar: Not long ago you were bragging that you were dropping dimes on
our neighbours for not obeying Higgy's orders Correct?
Higgs and his government are totally useless.
David Amos
Reply to @Jos Allaire: Methinks their circus is entertaining N'esy Pas?
Ben Haroldson
Reply to @David Amos: It is neverending.
DJ Redfern
Reply to @Jos
Allaire: Well Joe, the "useless" Higgs Govt. has kept you and most New
Brunswickers safe from the Corona Virus......Perhaps you could suggest a
better plan......A number of enquiring minds are waiting to hear
it.....
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Ben Haroldson:
It certainly is an amusing management style. We can all sit at our computers and watch Higgs and company stagger from one disaster to the next.
It certainly is an amusing management style. We can all sit at our computers and watch Higgs and company stagger from one disaster to the next.
JJ Carrier
Reply to @Jos
Allaire: Told you that about Higgs in my write-ups about CoR 30 years
ago in the Dalhousie News...Check the archive in Campbellton at The
Tribune...
Terry Tibbs
So, I'm guessing the Public Safety Minister is telling us that due to poor planning they were overwhelmed last weekend, and the exact same thing is going to happen this coming weekend, because?
Should we all take a guess?
Shall we all pretend they were too busy to develop a system?
Does this guy have any qualifications?
Ben Haroldson
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: And they will get you to pay there internet bill for them.
Justin Gunther
Reply to @Terry Tibbs:
This is actually a colossal disaster when you weigh what happened over
the weekend against the rhetoric concerning the dangers of COVID-19
leading up to what happened over the weekend.
It's almost like they think this news article exists in a vacuum all by itself, and for that reason they can just put it out there and tell the world they flew by the seat of their pants, came up with a solution because public safety, and it's not a big deal.
It is actually a colossal disaster when weighed against the COVID-19 rhetoric and also considering the hoops that citizens have been and continue to jump through daily in the name of "flattening the curve."
It's almost like they think this news article exists in a vacuum all by itself, and for that reason they can just put it out there and tell the world they flew by the seat of their pants, came up with a solution because public safety, and it's not a big deal.
It is actually a colossal disaster when weighed against the COVID-19 rhetoric and also considering the hoops that citizens have been and continue to jump through daily in the name of "flattening the curve."
SarahRose Werner
Reply to @Terry
Tibbs: "the exact same thing is going to happen this coming weekend" -
If I had a crystal ball that told me what was going to happen this
coming weekend, I wouldn't waste it on traffic line-ups. I would use it
to get the winning lottery numbers!
Greg Miller
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Sure he has qualifications--he can breath!
Carroll Cameron
Reply to @Terry Tibbs:
Stopping cars at the border and questioning people coming in is what they've been doing for 3-4 months now. The only difference is they never got 17,000+ people in a short period of time. The NS border was doing the exact same thing as NB was. During the day there was a lineup 8 km long waiting to get into NS. So why dont you criticize them also? Like NB, they were following the same plan they had had since the border was closed also.
Stopping cars at the border and questioning people coming in is what they've been doing for 3-4 months now. The only difference is they never got 17,000+ people in a short period of time. The NS border was doing the exact same thing as NB was. During the day there was a lineup 8 km long waiting to get into NS. So why dont you criticize them also? Like NB, they were following the same plan they had had since the border was closed also.
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @SarahRose Werner:
Makes you wonder where they find these guys who are supposed to lead us through the darkness?
Makes you wonder where they find these guys who are supposed to lead us through the darkness?
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Carroll Cameron:
Certainly these guys can come up with "better"? They are running around in circles, waving their arms in the air, and talking gibberish, without accomplishing one single thing. They are supposed to be "in charge" and their talents are certainly being wasted here, they would do well instructing other civil servants at paper cup varnishing.
Certainly these guys can come up with "better"? They are running around in circles, waving their arms in the air, and talking gibberish, without accomplishing one single thing. They are supposed to be "in charge" and their talents are certainly being wasted here, they would do well instructing other civil servants at paper cup varnishing.
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Such is the nature of a decent circus
Gina Pietrogiacomo
They were still waving people through as of Monday.
Tim Biddiscombe
Reply to @Gina Pietrogiacomo: Because of line ups or were they doing it all day?
Charles GALL
Reply to @Tim Biddiscombe: I came thru monday had filled form out on line was there including in line wait 15 mins
Bruce Sanders
Reply to @Gina Pietrogiacomo: They were waving them through by Friday afternoon!
David Amos
Reply to @Tim Biddiscombe: Methinks I touched a nerve or two with you and your buddies in Fat Fred City yesterday N'esy Pas?
Justin Gunther
Is this a system that could be easily subverted by, for example, stealing a cell phone that has the app already installed on it? Or perhaps through more high-tech trickery? Could vulnerable people be persuaded to put their "Pandemic ID," or whatever it is that this technology is going to leverage, on the market for the highest bidder?
Aren't there people out there hacking key FOBs and stealing late-model high priced vehicles? Are we going to be deploying a solution that is likely to be at least as vulnerable as key FOBs for late-model, high priced vehicles?
Tim Biddiscombe
Reply to @Justin Gunther: Do all that just to get through a CV19 check point? Quite unlikely..
Justin Gunther
Reply to @Tim
Biddiscombe: I don't share your optimism about the overall state of
Canadian national security, I guess. But it clearly wouldn't be done
"just to get through a checkpoint," if that actually needs to be
explained.
Tim
Biddiscombe
Reply to @Justin
Gunther: There are easier ways to get a fake ID than trying to steal a
phone that MAY POSSIBLY have that app on it. How many phones would? You
dont submit your SIN number or anything sensitive anyway.. just your
name, address and years of residency.
Justin Gunther
Reply to @Tim
Biddiscombe: I'm raising questions about a situation that we don't
really know anything about yet, other than that there's a technological
solution is in the works and will be deployed shortly.
I wouldn't know what information would be required by the app, if that's what it is, or how it would be leveraged by criminals. I just know we have a country that has plenty of people with the capability and morals to do just that for the right price.
And just in case this reality needs to be explained to whoever is in charge of the project, that is what I'm doing right here right now.
Have a nice day.
I wouldn't know what information would be required by the app, if that's what it is, or how it would be leveraged by criminals. I just know we have a country that has plenty of people with the capability and morals to do just that for the right price.
And just in case this reality needs to be explained to whoever is in charge of the project, that is what I'm doing right here right now.
Have a nice day.
Tim
Biddiscombe
Reply to @Justin
Gunther: Its not really an app at this point. Its just a govt secured
website that has a form on it you fill out and submit to them.
Justin Gunther
Reply to @Tim
Biddiscombe: I know it's not an app at this point. I read the article.
I'm not talking about P.E.I's current form solution, or any other
province's current solution. I'm talking about the upcoming solution
that will leverage technology in a way that we currently aren't being
told about, as described in the article.
I read the article.
I read the article.
Tim
Biddiscombe
Reply to @Justin Gunther: Do you file your taxes online? Do you trust that?
Justin Gunther
Reply to @Tim Biddiscombe: I trust it more than people clearly looking to get in a row online before 9:00am.
Tim
Biddiscombe
Reply to @Justin Gunther: You?
Justin Gunther
Reply to @Tim Biddiscombe: :-|.
Tim
Biddiscombe
Reply to @Justin
Gunther: I think you should be more concerned about the millions of ID's
that were hacked from private companies that DO include sensitive
information. But just my opinion..
Reply to @Tim
Biddiscombe: Why wouldn't we be concerned about both, when presumably
both the private sector and government are leveraging the exact same
technologies for their solutions?
If there is a situation where luxury vehicle manufacturers are putting out key FOBs that can be hacked, and there is, then why wouldn't we be concerned about governments deploying technological solutions in spaces where security should be amongst the highest priorities?
If there is a situation where luxury vehicle manufacturers are putting out key FOBs that can be hacked, and there is, then why wouldn't we be concerned about governments deploying technological solutions in spaces where security should be amongst the highest priorities?
Tim
Biddiscombe
Reply to @Justin
Gunther: I think you are being a little paranoid here. The form that is
submitted contains no sensitive information whatsoever and the app would
presumably be the same. Millions file their taxes online (or using
their phones) that contain very sensitive info ..this form does not.
Reply to @Tim
Biddiscombe: You're talking in circles without addressing what I'm
writing. This is no longer a conversation so I respectfully bow out.
Maybe somebody else wants to talk about "the form." Have a nice day.
Tim
Biddiscombe
Reply to @Justin Gunther: Run away if you wish..but dont let paranoia ruin things for you. Just friendly advice ;)
Tim
Biddiscombe
Reply to @Justin
Gunther: What are you concerned about with this form? There is nothing
sensitive in it at all. If you dont trust technology, dont use it.
David Amos
Reply to @Justin Gunther: Check my work in Federal Court in Fat Fred City
Ben Haroldson
It's all a crock.
Tim Biddiscombe
Ben Haroldson
It's all a crock.
Tim Biddiscombe
Reply to @Ben Haroldson: How so?
Terry Tibbs
Reply to @Ben Haroldson:
I'm *thinking* it's a Higgs make work program............ pre-election make work program.
I'm *thinking* it's a Higgs make work program............ pre-election make work program.
David Amos
Reply to @Terry Tibbs: Me Too
No comments:
Post a Comment