Kenora Mayor Dan Reynard says he's frustrated with an exemption allowed by the Province of Manitoba related to cottagers and their travel into northwestern Ontario.

"You know, it's really frustrating for people, given the fact that we're a border community. We've got two different provinces with two different rules," he said, noting the regulations are set at the provincial level.

While the mayor understands the desire for cottagers to stay at their camp during COVID, as well as the desire of Kenora residents to go shopping in Winnipeg, Reynard is encouraging people to stay the course and not travel, unless it's essential. 

"It opens up avenues where COVID-19 could come back into our community. So far, it hasn't happened, and let's hope that it doesn't get to where we have those huge impacts," he says.

Since Christmas, Northwestern Health Unit staff have been looking at their contact tracing for the area, and they've been steady in their message that the spread of COVID-19 has been from gatherings within communities, not from visitors arriving from Manitoba or Minnesota.

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Written by Mike Aiken