US land border set to open November 8th

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/us-canada-border-november-8-1.6212093

The United States is set to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated travellers by air, land or passenger ferry starting Nov. 8.

Air travellers will need to show proof of vaccination on arrival in the U.S. and will still need to show a pre-departure negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of boarding their flight.

Non-essential travellers crossing at a land border will be required to show proof of vaccination or attest to their vaccination status upon request by a border agent — but unlike air travellers they will face no requirement to show a negative COVID-19 test.

Canada is still requiring all travellers entering the country to provide proof of a negative test, regardless of their point of entry.

By January, essential travellers crossing into the U.S. at a land border will also be required to be fully vaccinated.

U.S. will accept Canadians with mixed vaccine doses

After several days of uncertainty, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control confirmed late Friday that it will consider people with mixed doses fully vaccinated, as long as the vaccines are authorized by either the Food and Drug Administration or the World Heath Organization.

That means Canadians who received any combination of the AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines will be allowed to cross the border when it reopens on Nov. 8.

How to get your Vaccine Record with QR Code - needed by November 15th

• Transition to vaccine record with QR codes

  • Your Alberta vaccine record with QR code will be the only valid Alberta proof of vaccination accepted by operators participating in REP as of November 15.
  • Vaccine records from First Nations, military, other provinces, and international travellers will continue to be accepted.

  Vaccine record with QR code

  • Albertans turning 12 and older can get their vaccine record with QR code at alberta.ca/CovidRecords.
    • It's fast and easy – no account required. Enter your personal healthcare number, birthdate, and month and year of vaccination.
    • Download your card and print out, or save on your phone.
    • If you were vaccinated recently, it may take up to 2 weeks for your records to be available online.

Border to open to land travel in November!!!!! & Vax requirement update

https://buffalonews.com/news/u-s-side-of-canadian-border-to-open-to-vaccinated-travelers-in-november/article_72ee9e96-2bbe-11ec-8e6b-7fd9958876d4.html 

BREAKING

U.S. side of Canadian border to open to vaccinated travelers in November

Oct 12, 2021

Two phases, vax requirements planned for reopening of U.S. side of Canadian border

Oct 13, 2021 Updated

The Peace Bridge as the Canadian side of the border reopened on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021.

John Hickey

Jerry Zremski

WASHINGTON – The U.S. side of the Canadian border will open to vaccinated Canadians starting in early November, the Biden administration told senior members of Congress on Tuesday, signaling the end of a 19-month pandemic shutdown that separated families and shook U.S. businesses that counted on customers from north of the border.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced the planned reopening shortly after White House officials told reporters that details of the move will be officially announced Wednesday.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, members of our shared cross-border community have felt the pain and economic hardship of the land border closures," said Schumer, a New York Democrat. "That pain is about to end. Very soon, the link between New York and our northern neighbors will finally be re-established, reuniting families, bolstering businesses and ending a frustrating cycle of waiting for everyone involved.”

Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat, said he received word of the pending reopening from Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator.

"It was a long time coming," said Higgins, who has relentlessly advocated the reopening for months. "It should have happened six months ago."

The Biden administration – the target of ire from cross-border families and angry ads aimed at forcing the reopening – spelled out the basics of the reopening on a conference call with reporters.

They said the first phase of the reopening will begin in early November, when fully vaccinated Canadians and Mexicans with proper travel documentation will be allowed to cross U.S. land borders for nonessential reasons, such as family visits and tourism. There will be no testing requirement for Canadians entering the U.S., even though Canada requires vaccinated Americans to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of their arrival in Canada.

The second phase of the reopening will begin in January 2022, when all travelers across U.S. land borders – even those who are traveling for essential reasons – will be required to be vaccinated. Currently, business travelers such as truck drivers can drive into the U.S. even if they are not vaccinated because they are considered essential travelers.

"This phased approach will provide ample time for essential travelers such as truckers and others to get vaccinated, enabling a smooth transition to this new system," a senior White House official said.

White House officials did not offer any detailed explanation for why the U.S. side of the land border remained closed for months after the Canadian government welcomed vaccinated Americans traveling for nonessential reasons to enter that country starting in August.

Instead, that senior White House official merely offered some empathy with cross-border families and businesses that have suffered through the prolonged shutdown.

"We understand how valuable across-border travel – travel from Canada and Mexico – is to the economic activity in border communities and to our broader economy," that official said. "And we also know how meaningful the ability to travel is to maintaining the personal ties between people living on either side of the northern and southern U.S. borders, who are often effectively members of one community, and we are pleased to be able to move forward with these strict protocols to ensure cross-border travel can occur in a safe and sustainable manner."

Both sides of the U.S.-Canada border closed to nonessential travel on March 21, 2020, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. And every month ever since, the closure was extended – often in a tweet or Federal Register notice that offered little explanation for the continued shutdown.

And despite the long delay in reopening the U.S. side of the border, both Schumer and Higgins were ecstatic about the move.

“Kudos to President Biden for doing the right thing and increasing cross-border travel between Canada and the U.S.,” Schumer said. “The high vaccination rates on each side of the border have opened the door of safe cross-border travel and will now safely increase the rebirth of the economic energy of Upstate New York.”

"This should have been done a lot sooner," Higgins said, "but it's a very positive sign relative to the economics, relative to life quality, relative to uniting loved ones who have been separated for 19 months." 

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Stake Conference Info From Bishop Johnson

Good Evening 5th ward members, 

I am looking forward to our meetings tomorrow! General Conference was excellent last weekend and I hope you were all able to feel the spirit and testimonies of the Church authorities who spoke to us. I am excited to spend some time reading and studying the words that were shared. 

Stake Conference is scheduled for October 23-24. Here is an update from the Stake on how those meetings will proceed:

The Cardston West Stake Conference will be held on Saturday and Sunday the 23 and 24 October.  It will consist of an Adult Session (for all 18+) on Saturday at 7:00 pm then on Sunday morning there will be a Priesthood Leadership Meeting at 7:30 am (For High Council, Bishoprics, Elders Quorum Presidencies, Ward Mission Leaders and Temple and Family History representatives).  At 10:00 am there will be a General Session.  

All meetings will be held in the chapel of the Stake Center. Doors will open Saturday at 6:00 pm and Sunday at 9:00 am for the Adult and General Sessions.  Masking and social distancing will be required.  Seating in the building will be limited to 1/3 fire code so prior to 17 October each ward will be given 50 tickets to distribute under the discretion of the bishopric.  There will be some tickets available at the door as well.  The Adult and General meetings can also be viewed on the Stake YouTube channel. We will send a broadcast link to email to ward members.  

https://www.youtube.com/c/CardstonAlbertaWestStake

October RS Newsletter

New Covid Temporary measures October 5 & 7th and "Thankful Pumpkin Tradition"

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend everyone!

Here is a darling idea I found when looking for something happy to go along with the current new gathering restrictions.

https://www.amylattacreations.com/2012/11/thankful-pumpkin-tradition.html

And now:

New provincial temporary measures to reduce transmission of COVID-19 and to protect the healthcare system.

https://www.alberta.ca/covid-19-public-health-actions.aspx#restrictions

Mandatory restriction - Updated October 5

Indoor social gatherings

• Vaccinated: Indoor private social gatherings are limited to 2 households (yours plus one other) up to a maximum of 10 vaccine-eligible, vaccinated people and no restrictions on children under 12.
• Unvaccinated: Indoor social gatherings are not permitted for vaccine-eligible people who are unvaccinated.
• This restriction does not apply to mutual support groups, or to workers who need to access your home to provide caregiving support or home repairs and maintenance.

Outdoor social gatherings

• Outdoor private social gatherings limited to a maximum of 20 people, with 2 metre physical distancing between households at all times.

• Fines double for harassment in vaccine passport enforcement
• CTVNewsCalgary.ca. 
  https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/alberta-rolls-out-harsher-harassment-fines-business-grants-for-vaccine-passport-program-1.5615489
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• Oct. 7, 2021
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• The province also announced the fine for harassing staff members who are enforcing the vaccine passport rules will double from $2,000 to $4,000.
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And with that... let's think of things we are thankful for again :).   I love that "Toy Story","chocolate", and "dishwasher" make the cut!