Wednesday’s Weekly Update No.2

If you missed last week’s update, you can catch up here: Wednesday’s weekly update No.1. But to recap, we found out that Canada were extending their boarder closure until at least the 30th July. Here’s the latest from limbo land…

1. Jacob does not need to be in Canada immediately. In an online team meeting at the end of last week Jacob found out that they are unlikely to be able to do field work this year. Let me dial it back a little and explain. Jacob is a Glaciologist and a postdoctoral researcher at University of Northern British Columbia. We have been expecting to hear that his team are able to do field work again, thus meaning Jacob would have to make the difficult choice between a glacier and his wife (since, as you may have picked up by now, I can’t go to Canada presently but Jacob can!). However, Jacob has been saved from admitting he loves rocks and ice more than me, because their fieldwork is unlikely to be taking place this summer. This is partly due to the fact that the area they would be working is Native land and the community are, very understandably, nervous about people bringing them Coronavirus. So this puts Jacob under less pressure to get to Canada asap.

2. Our house in Canada is secure for the moment. ‘If this house is the only sure thing about your move (and hopefully it isn’t) so be it, but it’s a sure thing’ was the response from our prospective landlady in Canada. Thus proving that it’s true what they say about Canadian’s being lovely. So for the moment, I’m not giving up on this lovely house with the understanding landlady. But the contract is due to start in seven days so I’m realistic about how long this situation can go on.

3. We may know more by the 16th July. If you’ve read Part two: How Coronavirus derailed our plans for moving to Canada you’ll know that we had decided to wait until the boarders opened at the end of June. On the 16th June we discovered that Canada had extended their boarder closure with the USA, which had been due to end on the 21st June, to the 21st July. This is complete speculation, but going on how it happened last month, we may know whether Canada and the USA are going to extend their boarder closure again around the 16th July. At this point (8th July) this doesn’t seem likely given the mess the USA are in, so I’m hoping for some extension to the current exemption which would allow me to enter. For example, if they allowed people who have a work visa but no job I’d be good to go and packing like a maniac!

What’s Bothering Babs?

(If you’re wondering what on earth this feature is and who on earth Babs is, let me direct you to…Wednesday’s weekly update No.1)

Babs’ question: What’s the Coronavirus situation like in Canada?

Here’s a great map which shows how Canada are fairing in the battle against Coronavirus and why they are not taking any chances with opening their boarder with the USA…