Governor Janet Mills issued the following statement in response to the Biden Administration’s decision to reopen the Canadian border in November:
“I welcome this long overdue step forward. For too long, the closed border with our Canadian neighbors has made it difficult, if not impossible, for cross-border families to see one another, and it has strained our local small businesses and our state’s tourism industry. I applaud the Administration for heeding my call and that of Maine’s Congressional Delegation by reopening the border with Canada in a safe way.”
In July 2021, Governor Mills criticized the Biden Administration for its decision to keep the border with Canada closed to nonessential travel and called on them safely reopen the border. To support businesses disrupted by the extended closure of the border, the Governor launched a $10 million economic recovery grant program in August 2021 for certain businesses and organizations within 25 miles driving distance of the US-Canada border crossing.