North Portal 鈥� As the COVID-19 crisis leads to ever-increasing restrictions on travel, essential truck traffic is indeed getting through, to Saskatchewan. A further lockdown on the border is effective at midnight, later in the day. Canada is closing its border with the US to all non-essential travel as of midnight Friday.听
鈥淭his decision will be implemented on March 21, 2020, at which time the U.S. and Canada will temporarily restrict all non-essential travel across the US-Canada land border. The measure will be in place for 30 days, at which point it will be reviewed by both parties,鈥� said a federal government press release.
Allister Denton is a Saskatchewan-based temporary long-haul trucker who drives refer vans from the American Midwest into the Canadian Prairies.
Around noon on Friday, March 20, Denton was returning to Canada, crossing at North Portal. Crossing didn鈥檛 take a lot of time, although he understands from his dispatch that their other drivers crossing at Coutts/Sweetgrass between Montana and Alberta had faced delays, but they are becoming minor.
For this load, Denton was hauling pork back into Canada.
At the border, he said border guards asked, 鈥淗ave you been feeling alright? Do you have a temperature, sore throat, cough, or any other symptoms over the past week? They asked me the barrage of symptoms 鈥� shortness of breath, headaches, stuff like that.鈥�
He replied he was feeling fine, and he was allowed through. His trailer, as usual, was properly sealed.
鈥淚t was exactly the same as the last time I came into Canada,鈥� Denton said.
He noted that as a long-haul driver, he is essentially self-isolated all the time. 鈥淚鈥檓 in my truck, literally 23 hours a day.鈥�
He starts his morning at 5 or 6 a.m. with a run or skipping rope, then hits the road. 鈥淭he only time I get out of my truck is to fuel,鈥� he said, or to pick up groceries.
Denton has found that when he delivers a load, there鈥檚 no more waiting inside the building. They bring the papers to the truck for him.
Denton lives in Battleford with his wife and daughter, when they鈥檙e not touring quite literally as a family circus.
Denton鈥檚 primary gig is being Dr. Von Houligan, a magician. His travelling roadshow is Dr. Von Houligan鈥檚 Family Extravaganza, which has criss-crossed the prairies for the last several years, performing under its own big top. If you were watching Telemiracle at midnight, you would have seen him perform.
As such, he鈥檚 driving long haul as a temporary gig, between seasons, and he鈥檚 happy to have the work.
鈥淢ost of my friends are magicians and entertainers. The next two months are wiping them out. Most are paranoid they鈥檒l go bankrupt,鈥� he said.
With the exception of a cancellation for funding reasons, he noted, 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 had any dates cancelled. My season starts mid-May.鈥�
He鈥檚 prepared that May and all of June to be wiped out for his season. 鈥淚 talked to my wife, and we understand the whole season could be wiped out. We don鈥檛 want it to. We鈥檙e preparing for the worst, hope for the best,鈥� Denton said.
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