Horgan says cross-border tent gatherings at Peace Arch Park a federal issue

Premier John Horgan says concerns about spreading COVID-19 as people from British Columbia and Washington state meet in a cross-border park should be directed to the federal government.

The border has been closed for months to prevent the spread of COVID, but two Surrey-area members of the legislature say in a letter to Horgan that local constituents are worried as dozens of Canadians and Americans visit inside tents on the U.S. side of Peace Arch Park.

B.C. Liberals Stephanie Cadieux and Trevor Halford say Horgan must contact Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and demand he close public access to the park until it is considered safe for non-essential cross-border travel.

Halford, who represents the Surrey-White Rock riding at the border, says Canadians and Americans are taking advantage of loopholes that permit them to meet in the park and return home without being subject to quarantine restrictions.

Horgan says he regularly speaks with Inslee, but that issue hasn't been raised.

The premier says managing the international border at Peace Arch Park is a federal responsibility, but he's prepared to raise the matter with Ottawa.