Bellingham businesses ready to welcome back B.C. visitors as Canada lifts pre-entry tests

Bellingham businesses are telling CityNews they are ready to welcome a lot more B.C. visitors starting next month when people no longer need a re-entry COVID test at the Canadian border.

“I’m looking forward to saying welcome back to a majority of our Canadian friends and family and consumers and shoppers and eaters,” Guy Occhiogrosso, the CEO of the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, said.

Occhiogrosso says he is unsure how impacted businesses will be or how soon after Canada stops requiring negative COVID-19 tests to enter as of April 1.

But he says he does expect it will start slow and build as people get more comfortable.

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Kerri Lonergan-Dreke, CEO & Co-Owner of Lombardi’s, agrees with Occhiogrosso, adding she thinks it will take a month “And then some of those old habits are going to come back.”

Lombardi has three Washington State restaurants, but its Bellingham location opened just before Christmas 2019.

“So we had just barely been established when the pandemic hit. And so we’ve yet to experience … ‘a normal Canadian summer season travel.’ And I think that this summer, of course, is going to be the start of getting back to some sense of normalcy.”

Lombardi predicts many Canadians are ready and willing to come down, especially for lower gas costs or for shopping.

While there are some eager Canadians, Occhiogrosso recognizes some travellers might need more time to get comfortable.

People will still need to use Canada’s Arrive-Can app when crossing north and travellers will be randomly selected for COVID tests.