Winter Go & Do 2021/2022

Public Health Orders
To state the obvious, we've
all gotten used to following
certain restrictions when we get
together with people outside
of our households. But Public
Health Orders change, and
lately the orders have also been
regionally targeted. If you're
on the road, the precautions
restaurants, retailers and event
organizers are obliged to take
may be different from the precautions
you know about when
you were at home.
You can keep up to date with
what to expect in the Interior of
BC by visiting this site: https://
www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/
covid-19/info/restrictions
For establishments with a liquor
licence and table service,
Know Before
You Go
casinos, theatres, fitness clubs,
and indoor ticked events, you
will need to present a vaccine
passport. (This may change
after January 2022.)
Vaccine Cards
• British Columbians can get
their BC Vaccine Card here:
gov.bc.ca/vaccinecard
• If a person has proof of
vaccination from another
province, they can use it in
place of a BC Vaccine Card.
• People from other Canadian
provinces or territories must
show: Provincially/territorially
officially recognized
vaccine record and one
piece of government photo
ID.
• International visitors must
show the Proof of vaccination
they used to enter
Canada (ArriveCAN)and
their passport.
If you don't have a
Vaccine Card
If an unlicensed dining venue
– like coffee shops or fast food
restaurants – doesn’t provide
table service, those without
their cards can enter the premise,
take their order from a main
counter, and sit down to dine
or drink, provided you and your
party have masks. You can also
support one of the West
Kootenay's great pubs and
restaurants by ordering take
out.
Can Americans visit?
Fully vaccinated citizens and
permanent residents of the
United States can enter Canada
for non-essential travel. Entry
to Canada will continue to be
prohibited for travellers who are
not fully vaccinated.
At the border, you must provide
a negative pre-entry test result.
Antigen tests are not accepted
for entry to Canada.
International visitors
Travel restrictions are in place
across all ports of entry to
Canada, but if you're fully
vaccinated, you may find the
restrictions easy to deal with.
Do your research! First step is
to go to https://travel.gc.ca/
travel-covid/travel-restrictions/
wizard-start
Skiing Photo: Steve Ogle courtesy Destination BC
Travelling by Road
When your roads are carved
out on the sides of mountains,
there will be curves and there
will be blind spots. Gravity is
always a factor. Especially after
a rainy spell or in the late winter,
pebbles and larger rocks come
ravelling down to the road
surface from up above. Any
local will tell you to check the
road conditions on your route
by consulting drivebc.ca before
you head out on a road trip.
Winter Pass Closures
The Kootenay Pass (known
locally as the Salmo-Creston,
passes through some awesome,
high elevation terrain. To keep
the threat of major avalanches
blocking the road down to a
dull roar, road closures in the
winter are not uncommon; the
closures give the avalanche
technicians the time to set off
and then monitor small spills.
If the pass is closed, you'll have
to take the East Shore route
from Creston to the Kootenay
Lake ferry and from there by
highway to your destination.
The MV Osprey ferry will run 24
hours until the pass re-opens.
Again, check drivebc.ca
There are over thirty webcams
in the West Kootenay, including
on the summits of the Kootenay,
Bombi, Strawberry and Paulson
passes. The images get updated
at least twice an hour.
BC Canada #gokootenays - share the adventure! 2021 /2022 GO & DO Fall | Winter 15