Ontario skiers breaking lockdowns to ski in Quebec

Many Ontarians crossed the provincial border to ski in western Quebec on Saturday, saying they believe the capital region's close ties across the border make it unique and lockdownrecommendations shouldn't apply.

For weeks, health officials in Quebechave asked people to only cross for essential reasons, without bringing back the checkpoints of the spring.

Someeastern Ontario health units have been askingresidentsto only leave theirregion when necessary.

As both provinces introduce stricter rules around the new year to try to cut back on COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, Ontario has told residents to only leave the province for essential reasons and specifically said skiing does not qualify.

Anyone who leaveshas been toldto self-isolate for 14 days after they return.

Those rules include closing Ontario ski hills, while Quebec's can open.

"I know we're not supposed to be here, but it's the only thing we can do," said Christopher Paine, an Ottawan and season ticket holder at Camp Fortune, a ski resort in Chelsea, Que.

"There is no snow in the city centre Everything is closedand it is safe here," he told Radio-Canada, sayingthatresort seemedto be taking health and safety seriously.

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"If we lived in Toronto and [were] going to Montreal OK, that would be a bit different," said Andrew Griffiths, another skier from Ottawa.

"We're almost in the same city here. We still call ourselves the greater National Capital Region. I don't think it really applies in that sense."

Many businesses in Chelsea also depend on Ontario customers.

"Of course, it will hurt us if Ontarians can't come," saidIsaac Lauzon, operations manager oftheChelsea Pub, in a French-language interview. His pub is open for takeout and delivery only.

In Quebec, closed businesses can reopen on Jan. 11 at the earliest, while Ottawa's lockdownis expected to last until Jan. 23.