Second-wave road trips from Ottawa: Yes or no?

As a travel writer and road trip fan, this post has been a hard one to write—but what I’m about to say needs to be said.

As of today (October 15, 2020), the COVID-19 numbers in Ottawa and Gatineau are not looking good. According to the CBC, Ottawa has the highest per capita case rate in Ontario. As we all know by now, Ontario rolled the city back to Stage 2 restrictions just before Thanksgiving.

And over the Thanksgiving weekend, Quebec designated Gatineau and some other areas of the Outaouais as “red zones”—the province’s highest COVID-19 warning level—as this CTV News story explains. The province did so mainly because Ottawa’s numbers are rising.

Warnings about travel beyond our home communities—and actual limitations—are increasing. Here’s just a sample from the last few weeks:

• police in the Outaouais pleaded with drivers to stop coming to Gatineau Park over Thanksgiving
• the National Capital Commission cancelled its Fall Rhapsody shuttle buses to Gatineau Park
• Gatineau’s mayor has mused that checkpoints on interprovincial bridges may be set up again
• the Eastern Ontario Health Unit advised residents to avoid travelling outside of their area or interacting with people from other regions

So, as someone who has spent the last six-and-a-half years happily urging people to hop in the car, on a bike, or onto a bus or train to explore Ontario, Quebec and the U.S. Northeast, what do I do?

Well, the answer to the U.S. Northeast question has been clear since mid-March: Unless you have a good reason to cross the border (and can prove it to the border authorities), your wings are pretty much clipped.

As for the other regions? I have to say, with a heavy sigh, that you should think extremely carefully about venturing beyond your community. If you do hit the road, you must take all the precautions, from maintaining a two-metre distance and wearing a mask to sanitizing your hands and—most important—staying home if you feel even remotely sick.

Having said all that, I feel I need to explain one vital thing about this site and its readers.

I know, from Google Analytics, reader emails and audience surveys that Ottawa Road Trips draws readers from all over Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais (and beyond). As a result, even though “Ottawa” is right there in the name, I’m not just writing for Ottawa folks.

As a result, if I write about an outdoor market in Kemptville or a takeout stand in Almonte or a farm in Plantagenet or a trail in the Pontiac, that place will be local for some of my readers. And as winter approaches, restrictions increase and the walls seem to be closing in, I want to do my share to help everyone reading this site get a change of scene safely and locally. I also want to do what I can to help local businesses survive.

So….

I’ll keep writing about things to see and do across Eastern Ontario and West Quebec, not just in Ottawa. I’ll also make sure to direct readers to this post, so they understand why I seem to be counselling people to hit the road when officials advise against it.

The bottom line: Please stick close to home—wherever your home community is—until the numbers improve. Keep an eye on the news and follow the latest rules set out by the authorities. And stay safe, my friends. We’re going to get through this!