New Brunswick Premier: Surplus Vaccines for Canada Might Allow Border to Open Sooner

There are positive signs for an open Canada-USA border and a stronger summer for Canadian tourism, the premier of New Brunswick says.

The premier, Blaine Higgs, said he took part in a virtual chat on Wednesday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Asked by CBC televisiion if Trudeau wants the border open, Higgs replied, "We're all interested to see borders open soon, including the Prime Minister."

With U.S. vaccination rates rising rapidly, there has been a good deal of pressure placed on Canada to open the border, which was closed to all but essential traffic in March of last year.

Higgs suggested that eagerness could be used by Canada as leverage to get surplus U.S. vaccines.

Opening the border "depends on getting the same level of vaccinations, and the U.S. appears to have Pfizer vaccines that are surplus," he said.

Higgs said he'd "like to think" the U.S. would be happy to share those with its most important trading partner.

"I think we would be first on the list for additional supply," he told CBC's Vassy Kapelos.

Higgs said the Prime Minister suggested it's a possible scenario.

Asked if he thinks that could mean better times for Canada's tourism and travel sector, Higgs said he believes Canada might see an "almost normal" summer.

"There should be hope," he told Kapelos.

Trudeau has sounded a little less sure about the border. Asked earlier this week about opening the border, Trudeau replied, "We're not there yet."

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