Niagara Falls Mayors feel impact of border closure, reiterate safety as top priority

Niagara Falls Mayors feel impact of border closure, reiterate safety as top priority

WITH COVID-19 CASESSPIKING IN MANYSTATES ACROSS THEU-S... THE CANADIANBORDER WILL STAYCLOSED FOR AT LEASTANOTHER MONTH.THOUSANDS OFPEOPLE ARE TALKINGABOUT THIS STORYTONIGHT ON THEWKBW FACEBOOK.THE BORDER WILLREMAIN SHUT DOWNTO NON ESSENTIALTRAVELERS UNTILAUGUST 21ST.AND THE CLOSURE ISIMPACTINGCOUNTLESS FAMILIES.BETWEEN THEMONTHS OF JUNE,JULY AND AUGUST...MORE THAN ONE ANDA HALF MILLIONPEOPLE TYPICALLYCROSS THE BRIDGEFROM CANADA FORTOURISM IN THE U-S.THE BUSIEST MONTHIS AUGUST..

WITHMORE THAN SIX-HUNDRED THOUSANDCANADIAN TRAVELERSALONE.7 EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER JENNACALLARI SHOWS USHOW THE SHUTDOWNIS HURTING BOTHSIDES OF NIAGARAFALLS.... AND HOW THECITIES ARE PUSHINGFORWARD.IT HASN'T BEEN EASY..JIM: "40,000 PEOPLEDEPEND ON TOURISMTO PUT FOOD ON THETABLE AND 98% OFTHEM HAVE BEEN LAIDOFF."THE CANADIAN ANDU-S BORDER HASBEEN CLOSED FORNON-ESSENTIALTRAVEL SINCE LATEMARCH..

QUITE THEIMPACT FOR BOTHNIAGARA FALLS, NEWYORK AND ONTARIO.JIM: "WE'VE BEENDECIMATED BY WHAT'SHAPPENED."ROBERT: "IT'SPUTTING ANINCREDIBLE STRESSAND STRAIN ON OURBUDGET."TWO COMMUNITIESFEELING THE HURT OFTHE COVID-19PANDEMIC BUT THEYCONTINUE TO WORKTOGETHER.JIM: "NIAGARA FALLS...WE SEE IT AS ONECITY DIVIDED BY ARIVER.

WE KNOWWHAT EFFECTS ONENIAGARA FALLS HASAN IMPACT ON THEOTHER."THE MAYORS OF THETWIN CITIES SAY THEENTIRE PANDEMIC ISFRUSTRATING -- BUTTHE SAFETY OF BOTHCOMMUNITIESOUTWEIGHSEVERYTHING.ROBERT: "WE'REGONNA HAVEANOTHER TOURISTSEASON, WE'REGONNA HAVEANOTHER SUMMER,WE'RE GONNA HAVE ALOT OF OTHERTHINGS.

WE JUSTWANT TO MAKE SURETHAT WE GETTHROUGH THIS ONEHEALTHY AND SAFE."IT'S WHY NIAGARAFALLS, ONTARIOMAYOR DIODATI WASONE OF SEVERALCANADIAN BORDERMUNICIPALITYLEADERS WHO SENTTHIS LETTER TO THEPRIME MINISTER.

HEWANTS TO BE HEAVILYINVOLVED WHEN ITCOMES TO OPENINGTHE BORDER BACK UP.JIM: "IN ANYBUSINESS, YOUALWAYS GO TO THEFRONT LINE, YOU GOTO THE CUSTOMERSAND YOU FIND OUTWHAT'S GOING ON.WE'RE THE ONES THATLIVE IN THESEBORDERCOMMUNITIES, WETHINK OUR INPUTSHOULD BE LISTENEDTO."BECAUSE WHILE BOTHSIDES ARE MAKINGPROGRESS, THENUMBERSNATIONWIDE AREN'TIDEAL FOR TRAVELING..

IT'S A GRIMSITUATION..

BUT ASBOTH SIDES START TOOPEN BACK UP, THEYCAN ONLY HOPE THATTHERE IS A LIGHT ATTHE END OF THETUNNEL.ROBERT: "TODAY IHAD THE PLEASUREOF BEING DOWN ATTHE STATE PARK FORTHE RIBBON CUTTINGFOR THE NEWWELCOME ENTER ANDIT SEEMS LIKE WHENTHOSE THINGSHAPPEN, IT'S NICE TOBE ABLE TO BE IN THATSITUATION AND SAYOKAY, THINGS AREOPENING BACK UPAGAIN AND WE'REGONNA BE OKAY."JIM: "WE MISSCROSSING THATBORDER, WE MISSOUR FRIENDS ON THEOTHER SIDE, AND I'LLTELL YA..

WHEN THOSEBORDERS DO OPENUP, I WON'T BE TAKINGIT FOR GRANTEDANYTIME SOON."IN NIAGARA FALLS,JENNA CALLARI, 7EYEWITNESS NEW