Fraser Valley (Josh Olund – BCIT Journalism) – For anyone who is travelling throughout the Lower Mainland, you won’t be subject to roadside checks when the travel restrictions are implemented on Friday.
“The Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health authorities will be treated as on health authority,”Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said in regards to roadside stops.“You’re likely to see something at the [BC] Ferries,for example,” Farnworth added. “The other obvious location is when you head into the Interior just before Hope, if you were going to take[Highway 1] or the Hope-Princeton, or the Coquihalla.But you will not be seeing anything on Boundary Road – in Vancouver or Burnaby, or the Tri-Cities,for example.”
The president of the Vancouver Police Union and the B.C. Police Association said there were concerns from members after these measures were initially announced by Premier John Horgan. Farnworth had clarified on Tuesday that they were“examining the use of periodic road blocks only” and specified that police would not be stopping people at random to make sure they weren’t travelling outside of their health region.
Restrictions could see tourists from other parts of Canada denied access to parts of B.C.
Farnworth also said the travel restrictions, that are set to take effect on Friday, could prevent people from other provinces from coming into B.C.“There will be signs at the border… Essential travel only. I can tell you, though, that if someone does come into British Columbia, they will not be able to go to another health authority. They will not be able to go from the Alberta border down to Vancouver,” Farnworth stated.
“If we need to take additional steps or are able to take additional steps, that would be something that we will look at,” he added. In regards to whether the province can ban travellers that come from Alberta, Farnworth stated“It is not an easy thing to do. There are a lot of challenges, particularly here in British Columbia,around that.”There will be more details about the restrictions on Friday. Including what fines violators will be facing how those fines will be collected.“There will be full and comprehensive [details on]what is considered essential travel” Farnworth promised.
