N.W.T.-Atlantic travel bubble floated, but not everyone's onboard

Angel Simon says she hasn't seen her daughter or her parents since before the COVID-19 pandemic started — and she isn't sure when she'll see them next.

Simon lives in Inuvik, N.W.T., with her husband and nearly two-year-old son, while her daughter is at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, and her parents are in the Cape Breton area of Nova Scotia.

"It's pretty heartbreaking," she said. "All we have is FaceTime and video messaging right now. My family is seeing my son grow up by Facebook."

Like the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Atlantic Canada requires people entering the region to isolate for 14 days. People living in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador however, can travel freely among those provinces without having to quarantine.

Also like the Northwest Territories, Atlantic Canada has, for the most part, been able to keep coronavirus infections low, prompting the question of whether the N.W.T. could glom on to Atlantic Canada's bubble.

For Simon, a trip out east right now means a month in isolation, as well as time off work and thousands of dollars in travel expenses.

"My parents are in their late 60s, and I'd like them to be able to see their grandchild before they pass away," she said, but a visit just won't work, as much as she would love one.

The N.W.T.'s last confirmed cases of COVID-19 recovered in April, while Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland were reporting zero new cases as of Wednesday. New Brunswick reported 17 new cases on Wednesday, connected to a special care home in Moncton, which cast some doubt on its future in the Atlantic bubble.

Nova Scotia, P.E.I. reject bubble

Since provincial and territorial travel restrictions came down, the possibility of the Northwest Territories bubbling with Atlantic Canada has come up a number of times.

On Wednesday, Dr. Kami Kandola, the territory's chief public health officer, said she's open to exploring the idea, noting that it would require meetings with multiple levels of government.

CBC asked each Atlantic province about the potential for an N.W.T.-Atlantic Canada bubble.

Nova Scotia and P.E.I. both said the territory had approached them about bubbling, and both said it's not something they're considering at this time. They didn't give reasons for rejecting N.W.T.

Newfoundland and Labrador also said it's not discussing opening the bubble to N.W.T. right now.

Kyle Ereaux is a lawyer who practices in N.W.T. and Nova Scotia. His spouse lives in Yellowknife and before the pandemic, he would split his time between that city and Halifax.

COVID-19 made the commute much more difficult.

Ereaux said an N.W.T.-Atlantic bubble would allow him to spend more time with his partner and do more business in the territory.

"I would take great advantage of such a thing, so I'm all for it," he said.

Opening N.W.T. up to Atlantic Canada makes sense, said Ereaux, especially if there's a direct flight.

"There's a lot of logic to people who object in the absence of a direct flight, because I think there's probably quite a bit of risk just ... having to transit through either Toronto or Calgary or Edmonton," he said.

"But if there's a direct flight, I think there's very little risk, so I don't see there being really any real public health reason not to have a bubble, if there's direct flight — but I guess that's a big if."

The major commercial airlines aren't flying non-stop between Yellowknife and Atlantic Canada right now. CBC asked northern airline Canadian North whether it would consider a direct route, but the company declined to comment, as the relevant governments haven't yet agreed to an N.W.T.-Atlantic bubble.

Dene National Chief wary

Not everyone is completely on board with the bubble.

Dene National Chief Norman Yakeleya said the Dene Nation leadership hasn't discussed the possibility of a bubble with Atlantic Canada, and he would be "very, very cautious" about opening up the territory to more jurisdictions.

"[What] we're very concerned about in our small communities is keeping the borders closed, keeping our communities safe, making sure that they have the proper supplies and equipment and the vigilance of watching who's coming in and out of communities," he said.

It would be "respectful for the [N.W.T.] government to come to the Dene communities, or the Dene leadership, or the Dene Nation, and ask about this idea," before going ahead with a new bubble, said Yakeleya.

After Thanksgiving this weekend, N.W.T. residents and people all over the country will be looking toward the winter holidays, when, under normal circumstances, they might travel to be with loved ones.

That's not happening for Simon's family this year.

"Christmas is going to be a little sad. We'll be happy to stay here together, but it would have been nice to have my daughter here," she said.

Simon is understanding of the territory's travel restrictions and she commends the government for helping keep residents safe.

"They're strict for a reason and I don't completely disagree with it," she said. "But it doesn't make it any easier."