Brian Higgins: “It was recently announced that the European Union is lifting travel restrictions to allow Americans to visit once again.…”

“It was recently announced that the European Union is lifting travel restrictions to allow Americans to visit once again. Over a year under the crush of a devastating global pandemic, highly effective vaccines have made this game-changing moment possible. Still, our border between the United States and Canada remains closed, leaving people unable to access their property and keeping loved ones separated for over 15 heartbreaking months. This move by the EU would allow my Buffalo neighbors to take a 9-hour flight to Paris, France, but they can't take a 90-minute drive to Paris, Ontario. The administration has set a goal of returning to a pre-pandemic sense of normalcy by July 4. For many living along the northern border, normalcy includes the ability to cross to check on their property and to see their family again. It is time to open the U.S.-Canadian border. ____________________”