Brian Higgins: “For 34 years my community of Buffalo, New York, and our Canadian neighbors in Fort Erie, Ontario, would mark the first…”

“For 34 years my community of Buffalo, New York, and our Canadian neighbors in Fort Erie, Ontario, would mark the first week of July with the Friendship Festival. This event that invites citizens of both countries to cross our shared border and celebrate with music, culture, food, and festivities highlights the strong and lasting bond between the United States and Canada. There will be no cross-border celebration this year on Canada Day and Independence Day. Not due to the pandemic, but due to the failure of both countries to plan for a safe reopening of the U.S.-Canadian border. For friends and families living along the northern border, crossing isn't an annual event, it is a way of life. Vaccines provide the bridge that allows people to come together again. We need leadership to open those bridges and let us reunite. ____________________”