“For months I have been calling for the federal government to reopen the United States-Canada land border and it finally appears that there is light at the end of the tunnel. So many families have been separated due to this border closure, and so many local businesses have missed their Canadian customers; it is well beyond time that they will be reunited. It is also hopeful for people who own second properties on the other side of the border and may now able to return to them after over 19 months. The border closure was more than just an inconvenience for border communities like ours – the closure completely disrupted our way of life and I look forward to welcoming our northern neighbors back to the North Country when the restrictions are lifted in November. I want to thank our local officials, including the North Country Chamber of Commerce that has been advocating for this for months on end; it is their tenacity and advocacy that helped bring this long overdue announcement to the forefront today.”