Homebodies: Georgina politicians stay put during COVID-19 pandemic

Small, urban GTHA mayors call on Canadian government to clamp down on unnecessary travel

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 15, 2021
Amanda Persico

Some of the busiest travel days, to and from Pearson International Airport in Toronto, fall during the winter break --the Friday before Christmas and Boxing Day. 

On Jan. 12, there were 96 departure flights out of Pearson and 101 arrivals --the same day the province issued a stay-at-home order that starts Jan. 14.

Travel through Pearson dropped by more than 87 per cent in November 2020, compared to November 2019.

Since March, Canadians have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel outside the country.

That means no family vacations, no Caribbean sunshine, no backpacking across Europe, and no visiting 22 countries in three days.

A group of mayors from 11 less-populated municipalities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), of which Georgina is a member, is urging the federal government to clamp down on unnecessary, out-of-country travel.

This comes on the heels of a storm of resignations from MPs, MPPs and hospital executives who travelled outside the country during holidays.

Did your elected officials stay put?

The Georgina Advocate asked each of your elected officials if they have traveled outside of Canada.

All seven Georgina councillors, along with federal and provincial elected officials, responded to the call with a resounding "no," having not ventured out of the province or out of the country since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

“I have barely travelled outside of Georgina, let alone outside of Ontario or Canada since March 2020,” said Mayor Margaret Quirk.

Travel patterns for Georgina councillors include travelling within town, within York Region and as far as about an hour from town.

Some even cancelled planned vacations.

“I haven’t left Ontario since long before this lockdown or the first,” said Ward 1 councillor Mike Waddington. “Sadly, I cancelled a scheduled vacation as well as a work trip (last year), because I felt it was neither safe nor appropriate considering the global situation.”

York-Simcoe MP Scot Davidson also stayed put, focusing his efforts "on the ground working hard on behalf of small businesses and residents" while continuing his work in Ottawa virtually.

“I haven’t even considered traveling in these challenging times,” he said. “It’s more important (now) than ever to look out for the needs of the community.”

York-Simcoe MPP and provincial minister of transportation, Caroline Mulroney, also has not travelled since March 2020.