10 | DECEMBER 10 • 2020 

O

ur story begins back in 
March, when COVID-
19 first reared its ten-
tacles of terror throughout the 
world. Most countries, includ-
ing Canada, 
established 
lockdowns to 
flatten the curve 
of rising rates of 
COVID-19 cases. 
But as long as 
there is even one 
case anywhere on 
the globe, the virus is bound to 
return. Sure enough, the virus 
came back once the lockdown 
was lifted. What didn’t come 
back were the hundreds — if 
not thousands — of small busi-
nesses, the livelihoods for so 
many people.
Thankfully, the lockdown 
eventually lifted. But as part of 
the rules enforced by Canada 
to prevent another “wave,
” cit-
izens returning from abroad 
had to self-isolate for 14 days. 
One might simply think to test 
those who had traveled, but the 

Health Ministry declared the 
tests too unreliable, despite their 
95% accuracy rate. I believe 
the government’s decision to 
impose self-isolation instead of 
testing was there just to deter 
people from traveling, which 
may not be such a bad policy 
to maintain during a raging 
pandemic.
But what if someone did 
need to travel? So, the govern-
ment provided an “essential 
traveler” loophole that allowed 
those eligible to return from 
abroad without the need to 
self-isolate or even test for the 
virus. Examples include truck 
drivers and healthcare workers. 
This wasn’t an issue until my 
sister from New York City got 
engaged. Upon researching, we 
found that traveling to a sib-
ling’s wedding was not consid-
ered essential by the Canadian 
government.
We traveled to the United 
States for the engagement party 
as well as for the wedding and 
quarantined each time. We 

considered ourselves experts on 
self-isolation … and then my 
wife’s sister got engaged to an 
American from Brooklyn. At 
this point, we decided to skip 
the engagement party, which 
we deemed unnecessary. But 
the wedding, scheduled for two 
months later, was surely not to 
be missed. We traveled back to 
the U.S., and when the wedding 
was over, braced ourselves again 
for the quarantine.
We felt something had to 
be done. We took some time 
to plan and discuss, and then 
launched a petition asking 
the Canadian government 
to allow travelers arriving 
back to Canada to test for 
COVID instead of self-iso-
lating. Aptly, we named it 
“TESTFORFREEDOM.
” 
After 1,000 signatures were 
garnered, we began lobbying 
for support from the travel 
industry, which suffered dis-
proportionately more from 
these debilitating travel restric-
tions. At the forefront was Air 
Canada, which began collecting 
voluntary test results from its 
passengers without any major 
outbreaks, demonstrating the 
effectiveness of the testing 
approach. They were truly a 

G-dsend, for they provided the 
data necessary to our cause. 
Without them we would lack 
the necessary data to convince 
the Health Ministry. 
Finally, with much prayer and 
pressure, the Canadian govern-
ment capitulated and allowed 
testing to be administered on 
returning travelers as part of a 
regional pilot program.
Our petition cannot yet 
declare victory, since this rul-
ing currently applies only to 
one airport located in Calgary. 
However, the plan is to continue 
to fight until we get the major 
airports of Toronto, Montreal 
and Vancouver covered. With 
enough pressure, we believe 
we can quicken the rollout of 
this decision. It’s amazing to 
note what we learned from the 
experience; G-d always lends 
a hand when one puts in the 
effort toward the right goals. Of 
course, we do what we can, and 
leave the rest up to Him.
May this virus disappear fast-
er than it appeared, and may we 
all be safe, healthy, and always 
in the best of spirits. 

Binyamin Bodner is a rabbinical student 

studying in the Bobov Kollel in Toronto.

guest column
COVID in Canada

Binyamin 

Bodner

VIEWS

Why a Chasidic family launched a 
movement to change travel restrictions.

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Editor’s Note from page 8

