Witness Testimony

Sünje Petersen, a Whitehorse-based tourism outfitter operating a remote fly-in hunting camp in the Northwest Territories, testified that border closures and territorial restrictions eliminated her business income for the entire 2020 season and approximately half of 2021. Approximately 95 percent of her clientele originated from outside Canada, and territorial border closures prevented both international and domestic clients from accessing the camp. She described the requirement for special permits for family access to the remote area, mandatory self-isolation declarations for clients, and ongoing reporting obligations, despite the camp’s isolation and one-on-one guiding structure. She stated that requests to allow limited Canadian clients were denied despite written correspondence with the Chief Public Health Officer.
Ms. Petersen testified that she questioned the epidemiological basis for denying access to five Canadian clients in a fully remote setting, while mining operations and other designated essential activities continued in the region. She stated that her business, which had operated for nearly 20 years and generated approximately $1.5 million in annual revenue, survived only due to accumulated savings. She emphasized that the economic effects extended beyond her family to guides, aviation companies, hotels, and other service providers dependent on tourism income.
She further described significant personal impacts, including inability to travel overseas during family medical crises and deaths, restrictions affecting her children’s education and athletic training, and social exclusion related to vaccine passport policies. She reported community division and social repercussions after speaking publicly against vaccination and lockdown measures. She concluded by advocating for targeted quarantine of sick individuals rather than broad lockdowns and stated that tourism closures had lasting economic consequences for northern communities.