BirdTalk Featuring the letters & concerns of our members SEND YOUR LETTERS TO Bird Talk, c/o CSANews 180 Lesmill Road Toronto, Ontario M3B 2T5 or by e-mail: csawriteus@snowbirds.org Bird Talk Dear Bird Talk, As a snowbird living in a seasonal home in Canada, I am concerned about reaching my Florida home for the winter if land borders are closed. However, I have heard that we may be able to fly down. Is this correct? Valerie Wood Belwood, ON Ed.: This is correct and we have lots of examples to prove it. Many of the normal airlines have flights to the U.S., but to limited destinations until business picks up. We believe that it is very safe as long as you take the normal precautions of masks, distancing and hand washing/sanitizers. The CSA is working on having the U.S. allow us to enter by vehicle as “essential travel,” if we own or rent a home in the U.S. You might try calling the border office where you are planning to cross and asking them if going to your home in the U.S. will count as “essential travel.” If they say ‘yes’, and I think that some border officials will, then ask for their name so that you can use it when you cross. Dear Bird Talk, Hi. Just received my summer issue and reading the letter from J. Ross Quigley. Note that he indicates in the third paragraph that the border to the United States is now open, which it is not. Please review any publishing for corrections beforehand, as this sends a very definite different message than what we are getting from our government. If it can’t be proven, then please don’t publish. Thank you, Seymone Armstrong Ed.:We received a dozen letters such as yours, Seymone, so I was perhaps not as clear as I could have been. Most of my facts are facts; my opinions, however, are mine alone. The U.S. border is open if you fly, and hopefully I was clear on that point. Several airlines, including Air Canada andWestJet, are flying regular flights to U.S. destinations, every single day. Canadians are having no problems getting on the plane or getting off the plane, although the normal security has been heightened somewhat. We are working on approved vehicle access. Dear Bird Talk, Really enjoyed the article, “Knowwhere you go when you’re going South for the winter.” Lots of good, common-sense tips. I would have liked to see an assessment done on I-95, as it is a major route taken by travellers fromNS, NB, NF and Quebec. The Toronto area is really Central Canada and not the East Coast. It is always disappointing when we Maritimers and Quebecers are lumped in with Toronto, which only Torontonians think is the centre of the universe. Lou Fougere Baddeck, Nova Scotia Ed.: We have been after Dave Hunter to do an I-95 book for some time to be a companion to his I-75 book, which is excellent. As an aside, I am not sure that there are many people from the “Centre of the Universe” – Toronto − as many of them actually came from all over the world. I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for instance, and do try to display the wonders of the East Coast as much as possible. And I do send all of my friends there on vacation and some to retire. Love Baddeck, of course. CSANews | FALL 2020 | 11
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