Barricades and checkpoints going up in Labrador to halt non-essential travel

Wabush Mayor Ron Barron has had it with people coming into his western Labrador community without a good reason during the COVID-19 pandemic.

So he and others are putting an end to it, even though Barron is not sure that his plan is actually legal, and a provincial government department is sure it is not. 

In central Labrador, Happy Valley-Goose Bay decided Thursday to put in checkpoints of its own, an indication that communities in Labrador are trying to put a lid on transmission of the highly infectious disease. 

Starting Thursday, Wabush and Labrador City will not be allowing any travellers into the region without a letter stating they are an essential worker or have an urgent need.

"We're not going to try to deny anybody who needs essentials, like, I use the example of formula or diapers for a baby," Barron said. 

"But the person who is coming here to look for green onions for their stir-fry? They don't need to be here."

However, in a later interview with CBC News, Labrador City mayor Fabian Benoit said municipal staff will not be physically stopping travellers.

"We're not going to physically get in front of anybody's vehicle and tell them they have no right to come in and to turn around and go home," he said. 

"We don't have that authority, and that's been made quite clear to us by not only the provincial government but the federal government as well."

Benoit said the checkpoints are about continuing to educate the public on the importance of travelling only for essential reasons. Barron agreed with his neighbouring mayor. 

Despite the fact Wabush is about a four-hour drive from Churchill Falls and almost nine hours from Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Barron said they are still seeing people make the drive for things like shopping at Walmart.

Barron said the councils in Labrador West are working with Fermont, Que., to make sure if people need something they can't get in their town, they can get it without putting anyone at risk in neighbouring towns.

Checkpoint staffed 24 hours

Wabush has had checkpoints at the town's entrances for about two weeks now, but staff was using them to hand out information on COVID-19 to people passing by. The checkpoints were staffed eight hours a day.

Barron said motorists have been waiting for the checkpoints to close before driving into town.

Now the checkpoints will be staffed 24 hours a day.

The move comes at a time when Newfoundland and Labrador has gone six straight days without any new cases of COVID-19. There have been none in Labrador West, but Barron said he's not taking chances on an outbreak happening now.

It's crazy and ludicrous that measure has not been put in place not just in Labrador and Labrador West, but across the entire province.- Ron Barron

He's been frustrated since the pandemic began at what he considers to be mixed messages from the provincial government. People were told to avoid non-essential travel, but going from one community to another has not been a ticketable offence.

In Labrador, where towns are small and remote, community leaders wanted to see bans put in place on intraprovincial travel.

"If you want to go take your camper and go camping, you're not even allowed to do that now. The RNC will enforce that measure. But yet, Ron Barron tomorrow could jump in his car and drive to Goose Bay and go shopping at the NorthMart over there. And no one is enforcing that," he said. 

"It's crazy and ludicrous that measure has not been put in place not just in Labrador and Labrador West, but across the entire province."

Another town, another checkpoint

Meanwhile, Happy Valley-Goose Bay's town council voted to put up a checkpoint of their own, with a 6-1 vote at Thursday afternoon's meeting. 

The "Roadside Information and Public Awareness" checkpoint will starting Friday, with town staff handing out information near the weigh scales on the Trans-Labrador Highway and at the main gate to 5 Wing Goose Bay. The checkpoints will operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. AT. 

"We're trying to do the right thing to stop COVID-19 from coming to, not just Lake Melville area, but to all communities of Labrador," said Happy Valley-Goose Bay Mayor Wally Andersen.

But the mayor said it remains to be seen if staff can legally block people from entering the community.

"It'd be very hard to do," he said. 

Coun. Michelle Baikie, who voted against the checkpoint, raised concerns about the safety of town staff.

"What if somebody gets out of the car and gets upset with the town employee?" said Baikie, who is also concerned about staff maintaining physical distance from people.

Andersen, however, said the town has enough personal protective equipment for staff, and that physical distancing will be maintained. 

The mayor said he is worried about Labrador's ability to respond to an outbreak of COVID-19, since there are no ICU beds available in the region.

"Furthermore, if someone on the North Coast gets stricken with this virus, and they need an ICU bed and they've got to be medevaced —imagine that torture on the family," said Andersen.  

"This can strike hundreds and hundreds of people. And we're all well aware of the epidemics that happened in the past that wiped out communities in Labrador … so we're very, very concerned," he said.

Not sure if barricades are legal

Labrador municipal leaders had a conference call on the weekend with Premier Dwight Ball. Barron said he told the premier he was going ahead with barricades, and he said Ball told him to go for it.

Premier Dwight Ball told reporters Thursday he supports communities establishing checkpoints to restrict non-essential travel.

"So what we're seeing are a number of communities working very hard and very diligent to make sure that we reduce the amount of nonessential travel," he said, adding it's important to know who's coming in and out of communities. 

But when it comes to blocking people from entering towns, Ball wasn't clear if the practice is legal.

"I guess that will be dependent on who tests the law," said Ball.

The Department of Municipal Affairs said Thursday afternoon that Minster Derrick Bragg told Labrador mayors on Wednesday that they do not have authority to stop people from entering their towns. 

In a statement, the department said towns can set up booths to provide information about COVID-19 to people entering communities. They have also advised municipalities not to issue their own states of emergency. 

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