This couple gave up their MCP cards to winter in Ontario. Now they can't return to St. John's
A retired couple from St. John's who winter in Ottawa are now spending the summer there, after being denied a travel exemption that they say shows the cracks in Newfoundland and Labrador's pandemic policymaking.
Retired professors Jean Brown and her husband Lloyd never gave up their house in St. John's when they decided, like so many others, to spend the winters of their golden years somewhere else.
They tried Florida a few times — "it wasn't for us," said Brown — before settling on a condo in an Ottawa suburb to be closer to their son for the snowy months, returning to St. John's in June to enjoy the summer and fall in their bungalow, where they have lived for 45 years.
Except, that is, when they tried to return to that home this year. Brown said their travel exemption application was denied.
"In my wildest imaginations, I had never dreamt it could possibly happen. I mean, it was sort of surreal," said Brown.
"All of our possessions, all of our books, all of our artwork, all of our memorabilia for the past 50 years is in the house in St. John's. We didn't move any of that here because we just thought we would be here sort of for the winter."
They blame the snag on paperwork: the Browns gave up their MCP cards for the Ontario version, as Jean Brown is a Type 2 diabetic who needs regular prescription refills and checkups. On paper, the Browns say, that means they are now permanent residents of Ontario.
Brown says she was surprised that they had to switch to OHIP — the Ontario Health Insurance Plan — as when they were in Florida they had always been able to stay in the N.L. health-care system.
In determining who is a resident of N.L. and can therefore enter the province during the pandemic, the provincial government requires an N.L. driver's licence or photo ID combined with an MCP card or a few other forms of identification. If the person has a different provincial licence, the N.L. government still wants to see an MCP card.
Look to P.E.I.
Now the Browns are sweating it out in the southern Ontario August heat, and asking why Newfoundland and Labrador isn't allowing people who own property to return to their seasonal residences, even though other provinces in the so-called "Atlantic bubble" are.
"I would like them to consider doing what P.E.I. did," she told CBC TV's Here & Now, referencing that province's decision on June 1 to allow seasonal residents to apply to return to the island. Within two weeks of that decision, 800 such residents were approved to return.
New Brunswick also allows Canadians who own property in the province to enter, and Nova Scotia lets any Canadian visit, as long as they self-isolate for 14 days upon entering.
P.E.I. and New Brunswick also require their seasonal residents to self-isolate for 14 days upon return, which Newfoundland and Labrador also requires from most of those travellers who successfully obtain travel exemptions.
The Browns said they are ready to do so, with their house empty and waiting, and a social network close at hand.
"We have friends, we have some family who would be only too happy to stock our fridge for us, so it's no problem to self- isolate," she said.
"We're willing to play by the rules. St. John's is our home, and we'd like to be there."
During Wednesday's COVID-19 briefing, the province's chief medical officer of health said keeping borders tight makes the most sense at the moment, and is based on the most current epidemiology.
"We know that our risk is with importation, and we know that people can be infected and not have symptoms, and we know that people are not always 100 per cent strict with their self-isolation," Dr. Janice Fitzgerald told reporters.
The province's travel ban is being contested in Supreme Court, with lawyers arguing it is arbitrary, and violates mobility rights.
Premier Dwight Ball has said any plans to open up the provincial borders to the rest of Canada would come with plenty of advance notice.
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