Grand Manan mayor says unwelcoming message was misunderstood

Despite an early morning message from the mayor of Grand Manan, the island is open for business.

Some residents and tourist operators cringed at the unwelcoming tone Dennis Greene took during a CBC radio interview Thursday morning.

Greene said he is still concerned about COVID-19 and doesn't want "off-island" property owners to visit Grand Manan.

"We're just asking in good faith not to travel at this time. Some of them are coming from places that COVID-19 is very, very high … and we're just not comfortable."

When asked, if the message extends to all New Brunswickers, Greene said, "It's a hard thing to say. I have a lot of friends around through New Brunswick, but if they call me and ask me if they should come to Grand Manan, I tell them, 'No, not at this time'."

But in an interview later in the day, Greene said he never meant to make New Brunswickers feel unwelcome. He said his comments were strictly directed at travellers from outside the province — a position he stands by.

Greene said he was aware that his comments had islanders talking. The bottom line, he said, is that New Brunswickers are welcome on Grand Manan

"Yes, they'll be welcomed warmly. We'd love to have them, and probably this is what will keep our tourism business going this summer — is the locals coming and staying in New Brunswick and visiting around in the province."

Some tourist operators were worried about the impact his early comments might have — particularly in a season expected to be devastated by COVID-related travel restrictions.

The president of the Grand Manan Tourism Association said, although residents are concerned about COVID-19 arriving on the island, it's not the time to close the island to visitors.

Greg Pidduck said islanders want New Brunswickers to visit.

"We're open, but there are certain provisos. Please respect the guidelines," he said.

Kevin Sampson, who has operated Adventure High on the island for more than 30 years, said now is not the time to turn away visitors.

"The idea of saying, 'No, no more tourists coming to Grand Manan' is not realistic," said Sampson, who operates a restaurant, cottages, and adventure travel business.

He said visitors aren't the only way for COVID-19 to arrive on the island. He said islanders are still travelling to the mainland and could "just as easily pick up the virus as a tourist."

"Just shutting the door isn't the answer because you can't shut the door. It's just not possible for us on the island. There's islanders going back and forth for, like Dennis did, just for a doctor's appointment. You know, he could just as easily have picked it up himself somewhere along the way."

Sampson said it makes more sense for businesses to stay open and focus on staying afloat this season — provided they have put into place measures which allow them to operate safely in the shadow of the pandemic.

For the most part, he said business owners are comfortable with New Brunswickers travelling to Grand Manan.

"We're happy that the Canadian government is keeping the borders closed for another month even though financially, it's devastating to us. But we realize, and we understand, that for the greater good, it's important to be able to help mitigate as best as possible."

For Sampson, that means coming up with three operational plans — one for each of his businesses — that outline how he can minimize the potential spread of the virus.

And so far, New Brunswickers seem to be heeding the province's suggestion to explore our own province.

Shayne McLaughlin has been operating Driftwood Cottages for 30 years. He said he's normally booked solid three to six months in advance of the summer season. While he's had a number of cancellations from out of province, he's almost booked for all of July and August.

Kenda Wilcox, who runs a bird and whale watching tour company, said she would love to see more New Brunswickers visit Grand Manan.

"We are open for business and we would love for New Brunswickers to come to Grand Manan and go whale watching and go see the puffins," said Wilcox, who owns and operates Sea Watch Tours with her husband Peter.

"We would love to see anybody that lives in New Brunswick to come to Grand Manan," she said.