Travel Blog

On Friday, May 17, 2013, a protest was staged on Cornwall Island. Indians’ Blockade of the Canadian Border caused the bridge from Canada to the US to close at the Cornwall crossing of the Canadian Border. We support the notion that free people can conduct peaceful protests to draw attention to whatever cause they have. There are a couple of things we did not like about this situation. There is the obvious inconvenience it caused us personally when we could not complete our trip.

First, they are disrupting a major border crossing, which means a lot of commerce and other activities are being delayed. This also increases the cost to everyone, including the average consumer. Second, they are really trying to blackmail both governments into letting them do whatever they want to do. Many of them smuggle guns and cigarettes across the border. This is a rumor that everyone in Cornwall seems to know about.

Canadian Border

But what really got us upset was the poor organization of the Cornwall police.  The street and all access points were closed well before the bridge, even though there is just one lane along the approach route that you need to block access to.

Why not block this entrance instead of forcing much of the traffic to go through the local mall and exit at the back? Why not put up signs well ahead of the blockade so drivers can make appropriate decisions before getting stuck in traffic?

It seems that no one thinks about the convenience of the drivers in Cornwall. They really do not care about the tractor-trailers, the tourists pulling campers, and the RVs. This entire thing caused a major traffic headache that could have been managed much better. But of course, that would require someone to think before they blocked a road!

For more posts about Canada, click here.

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