The heartwrenching story of a Windsor woman has raised questions of government-issued privilege when it comes to allowing family members to cross the closed border with the U.S.
Diane Costello is in hospice, going through the final stage of her battle with cancer. What she wanted was the chance for her parents, who live in Michigan, to come to Windsor so she can say her last goodbyes. The problem was that unless her parents underwent the 14-day federal quarantine requirement in Canada, their application to enter Canada would be denied.
Windsor West MP Brian Masse became aware of Costello's plight through a news report, but there was one additional component that made the NDP member angry. Liz Uihlein, the president and CEO of a Wisconsin shipping firm, who happened to be a major supporter of the Republican Party and President Donald Trump, as well as having a connection to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was allowed a quarantine exemption for a two-day trip to Canada, which meant that she and her party would not have to quarantine for 14 days.
Masse told BlackburnNewsWindsor.com that the apparent favouritism, as far as exemptions were concerned, was deeply troubling, even more so since Uihlein had been critical of COVID-19 restrictions.
"What's sad is the Uihlein family has also been very skeptical of COVID-19, and comes from Wisconsin, a high area of COVID problems, and was allowed this privilege, versus a Canadian who is looking to say her goodbyes to her parents," said Masse.
Masse also said that four unnamed federal ministers had been identified as having signed off on these quarantine exemptions. The procedure for requesting an exemption consists of someone applying to enter Canada and giving the reasons for why an exemption should be granted. If the request is initially denied, the applicant could ask a minister to override it.
The MP has called for the playing field to be levelled.
"Just because you're a billionaire, and you're connected to Trump and Trudeau, doesn't mean you should have access to Canada," said Masse. "Meanwhile, we have people who aren't allowed to go to a specific location, with isolation, and visit some relatives who are not well."
Word of Diane Costello's predicament has also reached the floor of the Ontario Legislature. MPP Percy Hatfield of Windsor-Tecumseh stood Thursday and spoke in favour of allowing quarantine exemptions on compassionate grounds.
"We, here in this chamber, talk a lot about cutting red tape. The rules are the rules. But as Diane Costello puts it, her parents brought her into this world, and more than anything, she wants to see them, hug them, and say goodbye before she has to leave this world. It’s her dying wish," said Hatfield. "It may take a miracle, but in cases such as this, perhaps bending the rules on compassionate grounds just might be the right thing to do. I call on the federal government to do the right thing for Diane Costello and anyone else in a similar situation."
