Transborder golfers

[White Light]

Yesterday at our club, Le Sorcier, half of the cars in the parking lot had Ontario plates. It seems that a lot of Ontarians have not understood the message yet. There are restrictions in effect. The border is closed between Quebec and Ontario. For a good reason. Today there are 3,732 new cases on Covid19 in Ontario vs 798 in Quebec. Even taking into account the difference in population (14.5 m in Ontario and 8.5 in Quebec) the virus is way more prevalent in Ontario. One has to look at global numbers since golfers come from everywhere. Please Ontarians, stay home or at least on your side of the border. This is not a game of not getting caught. People die every day. Even if you are vaccinated you can still carry the virus. Coming here could make you responsible for one or more deaths. Think about it!

[Marcos]

Sad to read this as we all need to work together in order to get this under control where we can all get back to some normality. Does anyone know if the courses have any authority to turn back golfers from outside of Quebec? A few weeks ago at Tecumseh, they asked us for our drivers licence in order to prove that we where from Gatineau. Dont think other courses are doing this.

[tortoise]

Keep in mind that the MAJORITY of Ontario's cases are in the GTA and that Ottawa and Gatineau have typically had similar case rates. In fact, the Outaouais currently has more active cases per 100k than Ottawa.

[spackler]

Yesterday at our club, Le Sorcier, half of the cars in the parking lot had Ontario plates. It seems that a lot of Ontarians have not understood the message yet. There are restrictions in effect. The border is closed between Quebec and Ontario. For a good reason. Today there are 3,732 new cases on Covid19 in Ontario vs 798 in Quebec. Even taking into account the difference in population (14.5 m in Ontario and 8.5 in Quebec) the virus is way more prevalent in Ontario. One has to look at global numbers since golfers come from everywhere. Please Ontarians, stay home or at least on your side of the border. This is not a game of not getting caught. People die every day. Even if you are vaccinated you can still carry the virus. Coming here could make you responsible for one or more deaths. Think about it!

I'm not sure why you would feel golf is safe for you, but not for people in the same region who live on a different side of a river? Are there police checks to ensure no one is crossing to the 'wrong' side of the Gatineau river? Or the Lievre, or the Blanche?

If golf is unsafe, it should be closed for you as well. If it is safe, it does not matter which side of a mutually shared river people are from.

[Marcos]

What we are hearing here is that our health care system can not handle more cases. Thats the only reason for now. i play golf with a ICU nurse in Hull and she tells me that its really bad right now so this is the main reason we cant afford to have more cases. I know that its pretty much the same all over.

[White Light]

I'm not sure why you would feel golf is safe for you, but not for people in the same region who live on a different side of a river? Are there police checks to ensure no one is crossing to the 'wrong' side of the Gatineau river? Or the Lievre, or the Blanche?

If golf is unsafe, it should be closed for you as well. If it is safe, it does not matter which side of a mutually shared river people are from.

It is not a matter of weather it is safe for us or not. The border is closed for a reason. Stay home. Ontario has way more cases by far. Don’t focus on local cases only. Golfers come from everywhere.

[Big Johnny69]

It is not a matter of weather it is safe for us or not. The border is closed for a reason. Stay home. Ontario has way more cases by far. Don’t focus on local cases only. Golfers come from everywhere.

I would highly doubt someone is coming from the GTA to play at Sorcier. If they are, they are the most die hard golfers I have ever heard of.

[jeffc]

It is not a matter of weather it is safe for us or not. The border is closed for a reason. Stay home. Ontario has way more cases by far. Don’t focus on local cases only. Golfers come from everywhere.

I did a count earlier, of the 3400 cases in Ontario today, ~2600 were from the GTA. That means 800 were from the rest of the province.

If you think that golfers are driving from the GTA to Le Sorcier, I have some swampland to sell you.

[Johnyc]

Keep in mind that the MAJORITY of Ontario's cases are in the GTA and that Ottawa and Gatineau have typically had similar case rates. In fact, the Outaouais currently has more active cases per 100k than Ottawa.

Agreed with the above. Also so much as I disagree with the rules I don’t think we can pick and choose which to follow and which to dismiss. I hate it but if the rule right now states we can’t go over for non essential reasons than we shouldn’t go. This won’t help accelerate the opening process at all and in fact may result in an extension of the order. In any event, just my two cents.

[Sakuraba]

In the summer of 2020 (when Quebec cases were higher than Ontario) I am very glad I was able to play at my home course in Ontario, even though I live in Quebec. (at the time we had zero cases in my municipality)

If the rules allow an Ontario resident to visit their secondary home in Quebec, and those same rules allow you to golf in Quebec, it is possible that all those Ontario-plated vehicles in the Sorcier's parking lot are in compliance with the current rules.

[Kak]

It is not a matter of weather it is safe for us or not. The border is closed for a reason. Stay home. Ontario has way more cases by far. Don’t focus on local cases only. Golfers come from everywhere.

Agree, samething with Montebello yesterday, more Ontario plates than Quebec's, heard some guy coming from Pickering Ontario, This fight against Covid needs everyone to contribute even Golf Course Owners.

Perhaps the closure of golf courses in Outaouais is the solution.

[Kak]

What we are hearing here is that our health care system can not handle more cases. Thats the only reason for now. i play golf with a ICU nurse in Hull and she tells me that its really bad right now so this is the main reason we cant afford to have more cases. I know that its pretty much the same all over.

Well said Marcos, terrible situation in our hospitals right now and our Health workers.

[mizzyboy]

Ok so we know that crossing the border to golf is considered non-essential. Are the cops actually enforcing it? It doesn't seem to be the case based on what I'm seeing on this subject.

[Kak]

Ok so we know that crossing the border to golf is considered non-essential. Are the cops actually enforcing it? It doesn't seem to be the case based on what I'm seeing on this subject.

No they aren't. Obviously, some people only obey rules when enforced by cops.

[big mac]

Following up on what Mark said. Think about this fact---you have all seen the news from India. There are 3400 people per day dying--that equates to 1,240,000 deaths per year. India's population is 1,300,000,000 people. At this current rate of death if nothing was done it would take over 1000 years for the population to die !!!!!!!!!!! Either I have done a gross miscalculation here OR if I am correct NOBODY seems to be able to grasp the enormity of this situation. Just think---all the doctors and nurses are working full tilt for 1000 years----do we want to leave this to future generations ?????? Please guys ---check my math---this is astonishing if my math is anywhere near correct

[spackler]

No they aren't. Obviously, some people only obey rules when enforced by cops.

Not sure what you mean. Gatineau and MRC police are definitely turning around people who are engaging in non-essential travel at bridge crossings, and also at random checks on the 5 (Chelsea and Wakefield exits near popular Gatineau Park trailheads).

[CrowdPleaser]

It is not a matter of weather it is safe for us or not. The border is closed for a reason. Stay home. Ontario has way more cases by far. Don’t focus on local cases only. Golfers come from everywhere.

Try and explain that to members of Royal Ottawa and Rivermead. I don’t know any but with the annual fees they are paying, and with upcoming Golf Quebec events, I would assume they that they are still coming over. I know I would be thinking about it if I was in there shoes.

[Gobble_It]

I dont think the police has stopped doing the checkpoints at the bridges. Probably more like random spot checks.
They just turn people around . Even if you are caught, there is no consequences.

[Kak]

Not sure what you mean. Gatineau and MRC police are definitely turning around people who are engaging in non-essential travel at bridge crossings, and also at random checks on the 5 (Chelsea and Wakefield exits near popular Gatineau Park trailheads).

Just read the first post.

[Gobble_It]

It doesn't make sense when they promoted ActiveTO to get people to go outdoor but there is a stay-at-home order. Looks at the crowds at some of the farmer's market in TO!

[paulfourputt]

Yesterday at our club, Le Sorcier, half of the cars in the parking lot had Ontario plates. It seems that a lot of Ontarians have not understood the message yet. There are restrictions in effect. The border is closed between Quebec and Ontario. For a good reason. Today there are 3,732 new cases on Covid19 in Ontario vs 798 in Quebec. Even taking into account the difference in population (14.5 m in Ontario and 8.5 in Quebec) the virus is way more prevalent in Ontario. One has to look at global numbers since golfers come from everywhere. Please Ontarians, stay home or at least on your side of the border. This is not a game of not getting caught. People die every day. Even if you are vaccinated you can still carry the virus. Coming here could make you responsible for one or more deaths. Think about it!

I guess we really aren’t all in this together.

[MikeRaganold]

How about that Mike Weir guy.

Remember him?

First time winner anywhere since 2007...

[Gobble_It]

The birth rate is ~1% in India or 10millions are born a year . Not saying that the covid-19 death is insignificant

[big mac]

I hear you but when you actually stop and think about the numbers---it is staggering. Imagine a pile of money 1,000,000 dollars in 1.00 bills . Now imagine 1.3 billion---just does not compute.

[1800Duffers]

Wow, I thought that east coasters were the only ones participating in covid shaming. Be grateful that the Quebec government uses common sense and that golf is doing well in the province.

[The Enigma]

bridges run in two directions...
I haven't noticed a drop in Quebec license plates on the Ontario side...
Pot-Kettle???

[1800Duffers]

A large number of plates in Orleans are from Quebec and I'm not talking about pick up trucks.

[Big Johnny69]

Probably upset that Ontarioans are taking the prime tee times. But not much was said when people from Gatineau were travelling into Ottawa to enjoy indoor dining.

[tortoise]

One of the most frustrating things about this pandemic is that we have been regulated as two different cities instead of the National Capital region.

Closing the border between Ottawa and Gatineau makes about as much sense as closing the border between Burlington and Oakville.

[314314]

I guess if I go for "work" for a week to Montreal, I should be able to play up there...