US-Canada border and the Cataract City: The economic impact of the shutdown

Parking lots and streets in Downtown Niagara Falls were seemingly empty Wednesday.

Only a few people dinned outside among empty sidewalks.

MID-FALL.IT NOW LOOKS LIKEMOST OF US WILL NOTBE ABLE TO TAKE ATRIP ACROSS THEPEACE BRIDGE FORANOTHER FEWWEEKS.A TRAVEL BAN INTOCANADA HAS BEENEXTENDED.ACCORDING TOREUTERS-- THE TRAVEL BANCOVERS ALL NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVELBETWEEN THE U-SAND CANADA UNTIL ATLEAST LATE-JULY.THE BAN WASSUPPOSED TO EXPIREON JUNE 21ST -- JUST11 DAYS FROM NOW.NIKKI DEMENTRI IS INNIAGARA FALLS --WHERE LOCALBUSINESS OWNERSNOW STAND TO LOSE AMUCH BIGGER CHUNKOF THEIR SUMMERTOURISM REVENUE.DOWNTOWN NIAGARAFALLS IS SEEMINGLYEMPTY."THIS IS LIKE JANUARY1ST WITH BETTERWEATHER.

IT'S VERYUNUSUAL."ONE REASON THECLOSURE OF NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVELACROSS THECANADIAN-U-SBORDER.ROADS THE RAINBOWBRIDGE DESERTED.NATS"IT'S NOT LIKE ANINTERNATIONALBORDER, IT'S LIKECLOSING OFF ANEIGHBORHOOD.ANDTHOSE PEOPLE ARELIKE OUR TRUENEIGHBORS TO THENORTH AND THEY'REIMPACTFUL TO OURCOMMUNITY."JOHN PERCY OFDESTINATION NIAGARASAYS CANADIANSSHOP -- DINE AND PLAYON THIS SIDE OF THEBORDER.WITH THE BORDERCLOSED SINCE MARCH-- PERCY IS NOWPLANNING FOR ASTRONG REBOUND."WHEN WE START TOREALLY CALCULATE ALLTHE NUMBERS ANDWHAT WE MISSED OUTON, IT IS GOING TO BESIGNIFICANT.

THERE ISNO DOUBT ABOUTTHAT."TOURISM AND SALESTAX REVENUE ARE THEMAIN AREAS OFCONCERN."ONE OF THE QUICKESTTHINGS TO REBOUND ISTRAVEL AND THAT TOOWILL REBOUND ANDWE'LL BE STRONGERAND BETTER THANEVER."PERCY SAYSRESEARCH SHOWSCANADIANS GO TOTHE FASHION OUTLETSMORE THANANYWHERE ELSE INWESTERN NEW YORK.VISA SAYS CANADIANSSPENT 59 MILLIONDOLLARS IN NIAGARACOUNTY LAST YEAR."YOU SHOP AND YOULIVE SORT OF WITHINTHE TWOCOMMUNITIES."MAYOR ROBERTRESTAINO SAYS THECITY LOSS 22% OFSALES TAX IN MARCHAND APRIL --INCLUDING A 33-PERCENT DROP ATONE POINT IN MARCH."TO BE HONEST WITHYOU THERE AREN'T ALOT OF DIFFERENTPLACES TO SORT OFMAKE THAT REVENUEUP.

WE'RE GOING TOHAVE TO FIGURE OUT AWAY TO GET FROMHERE TO THE END OFTHE YEAR."RESTAINO SAYS HEHAS TALKED WITH THEMAYOR NIAGARAFALLS, ONTARIOABOUT WHAT RE-OPENING WILL LOOKLIKE FOR THE TWINCITIES.HIS CITY WILL WORKWITH OTHERGOVERNMENTS TOSHRINK EXPENSES."WE'RE GOING TO DOALL THAT WE CAN TOTRY AND STRETCH THEMONEY THAT WE HAVESO THAT ALL OF THERESIDENTS CAN SEESOME PRODUCTIVITYAND SOMEIMPROVEMENT IN OURCOMMUNITY.""A U.S. CUSTOMERSAND BORDERPROTECTIONSPOKESPERSONCONVERSATION INREGARD TO TRAVELBETWEEN THE UNITEDSTATES AND CANADAARE ONGOING.

AS FORNOW, THE TRAVELRESTRICTIONS WILLREMAIN IN PLACE UNTILJUNE 22 AT 11:59 P.M..IN NF, ND, 7EWN."