Student's killer on parole
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Hostage was on captor 
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Gen X is raking it in
LeBlanc laying groundwork
US vetoes UN resolution
$100M Nassar settlement
12 Trump jurors picked
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Vicinity hires president,
Record housing starts
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Munn talks cancer battle
As my summer listening tour continues throughout our region, a concern I continue to hear about is the government’s ongoing requirement that the ArriveCan app be used to enter Canada.
Many in the tourism and accommodation sectors of our economy have raised the challenge of lost revenue, as many regular visitors from outside of Canada refuse to visit Canada citing concerns with the requirement to use the ArriveCan app.
For many border towns across Canada, there has been almost unanimous opposition against the app due to lost economic opportunities, as many U.S. citizens are refusing to cross the border due to ArriveCan.
I have also heard from Canadians, often seniors, who will no longer travel to the U.S., either because they do not have a smart phone capable of downloading the app or because they oppose the app on principle.
Recently, Global News reported a glitch in the ArriveCan app created a situation where 10,000 fully vaccinated Canadians were incorrectly instructed to quarantine for 14 days solely because of an error. Worse, it took the government twelve days to become aware of the error and report the information to the people involved.
While the government refuses to disclose exactly what was the cause of the error, it has been reported the 10,000 quarantine orders were sent out automatically and electronically by the ArriveCan app through an automated decision-making process.
Likewise, if you received a false quarantine order, the government has not set up any type of appeal or resolution process to have an error rectified.
In other words, you can be electronically ordered to quarantine without any recourse.
The cost of the ArriveCan app is reported to be close to $24.7 million and was developed through an untendered partnership that involved five private sector companies.
Although the ArriveCan app was introduced as a temporary pandemic-related requirement, the government refuses to announce either a proposed withdrawal date or a clarification if they intend to try and make this app a permanent requirement for entry into Canada, as has been floated in the media.
My question this week:
What are your thoughts on the ArriveCan app and would you like to see its use terminated or continued as a permanent requirement to enter Canada?
I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll free 1-800-665-8711
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
