Carol Zwarich said unless the provincial border closes, she plans to visit B.C. this summer.
Zwarich and her husband have property at Cinnemousun Beach, which they visit about a dozen times a year.
She said they have been up twice this year, once for Easter and once during the May long weekend.
She said her neighbours, some of which are full-time residents are hesitant to see visitors from Alberta.
“They’re cautious about us from Alberta coming out because we have so many more cases. They really want to say don’t come, but they’re nice so they don’t want to say that,” said Zwarich.
A warning for Albertans
B.C. is a popular vacation destination for neighbouring Albertans. Whether it’s for camping, hunting or fishing, it’s a summer favourite for many.
Over the past few weeks several vehicles in B.C. with Alberta plates were targeted. One mans tires were slashed while others received notes saying ‘go home’.
Breanna Larson, who visits B.C. every summer, said unless things escalate she will continue to go.
“We feel pretty safe in Sicamous. If it were Kelowna I might be a little more apprehensive,” she said.
Larson’s in-laws have property in B.C. and she said they’ve never had any problems with people.
Alberta has had more than double the cases of COVID-19 than B.C., which has some people on edge.
“I know we’ve had lot more cases than them so I think they have a lot of anxiety over that,” said Larson.
Taking steps to keep everyone safe
Zwarich said she’s taking steps to reduce the chances of infecting anyone in B.C.
“I took out all my food and all our booze and supplies and stuff, from here [Calgary] so we wouldn’t have to go into the grocery stores or any of their facilities,” said Zwarich.
She said they also only stopped the car once during the five and a half hour car ride to use the bathroom and get gas if needed.
Many of the residents near Zwarich’s property are on the older side and she said she understands their concern.
“I don’t blame them, the majority of the people that are in our complex, they’re older, and they’re the ones that shouldn’t get it. I would feel awful if I had it I didn’t know it and all of a sudden they got it,” she said.
Each property is about an acre apart, which allows for physical distancing.
Now that COVID-19 testing is available to everyone, Zwarich said she will consider getting tested before and after heading to her property.
The Alberta government said non-essential travel outside of the province is not recommended, but there are no mandatory restrictions in place.
