DEER LAKE, N.L. — Kevin Langdon hasn’t been home to Newfoundland in seven years and this was going to be the year he and his family would finally make the trip.
That was until COVID-19. Now the Deer Lake man is waiting to find out the results of an appeal he’s filed with the province after having an application for a travel exemption denied.
Kevin is an RCMP constable in Hanley, Sask., about 50 to 60 kilometres south of Saskatoon. His parents, Gary and Carol Langdon, still live in Deer Lake. His wife, Lindsay, is originally from Corner Brook and that’s where her mom, Marylou Pike, lives.
Lindsay can’t fly and so whenever the family travels they have to drive. Getting enough time off to do that can be hard.
“The last seven years we just couldn’t get it to work out.”
When he was posted to Hanley three years ago, Kevin started to make plans to come home in 2020. He didn’t take any holidays last July and August, opening up more time for his coworkers, who agreed to leave July open for him this year.
“I was supposed to finish my night shift July 6 at 4 a.m. and then at 9 a.m. on July 6 we were going to hit the road. The whole family, with our new truck and our RV that we bought so we could go home, have a place to stay.”
They had their ferry crossings booked long before COVID hit. After it did were still hopeful they’d get to make the trip.
Kevin followed the news on what happened in China and how after a couple of months things started to reopen.
“I figured we got the heads up from them so that our country would probably tackle it a little bit better. We’d be out of that hole before June even. I guess that didn’t happen.”
Once he found out they had to get permission to come to the province, Kevin read through all the orders and applied for a travel exemption.
“With being recruited out of Newfoundland with the RCMP technically by most laws we’re still considered residents of Newfoundland. But we’re not going to have an MCP, we’re not going to have a power bill, we’re not going to have vehicles registered to us because we work here.”
When the exemption was denied he immediately appealed - mentioning feeling discriminated against - the lawsuits that have been launched and that it is a potential violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As of June 29, he had not received a response.
“Why should I be not be permitted to come into a province I spent 25 years of my life in?”
Kevin understands that travel has its risks, but said his family is prepared. Both he and Lindsay, who works in corrections, have worked throughout COVID-19 and know how to protect themselves. They’ve also tested negative for the virus.
“It just pissed me off. It was very, very unfair and it’s very discriminatory towards a lot of other people. And I get Newfoundlanders are scared, but you also have to understand that they have zero cases. You can’t live in a bubble the rest of your life.” Kevin Langdon
“We really want to see our family,” he said, adding they have some relatives facing serious medical issues.
“A lot of our fears is are these people even going to be with us next year?”
Other provinces are moving ahead with opening things up and Kevin doesn’t understand why Newfoundland isn’t — except for the Atlantic provinces on July 3 — especially with no cases.
The family could possibly still make the trip if they wait until July 17. That’s the tentative date the province is looking at lifting its travel ban for the rest of the country. But that may not give them enough time.
“I’m just really frustrated with the whole process. This faceless online application to be able to get permission. You don’t even have enough room to be able to explain your situation, your scenario.
“It just pissed me off. It was very, very unfair and it’s very discriminatory towards a lot of other people. And I get Newfoundlanders are scared, but you also have to understand that they have zero cases. You can’t live in a bubble the rest of your life.”
“If they’re fine, I think they should be able to come.” - Carol Langdon
Kevin’s mom, Carol Langdon, shares his disappointment. COVID has meant that two of her other children also can’t come home and her daughter’s wedding has had to be postponed.
“I’m a bit upset about it, but there’s not much you can do. They’ve had their hopes up to get home.”
Carol’s also had her hopes up because she hasn’t seen Kevin’s children, Noelle and Jason, since 2013.
“I understand the reason behind it,” she said of the travel ban, “but I’m sure there’s something they could do before they let them on the island to check to see if they’ve got (COVID).”
She said people could come a day early and be tested on the boat.
“If they’re fine, I think they should be able to come.”
Carol also isn’t sure why it’s OK to travel around the Atlantic provinces but not the rest of Canada.
“People are travelling all the time. There’re more ways to travel. You don’t know where they’ve been before they decided to come this way,” she said.
“I’m still hoping that they’re going to be able to get home.”
Provincial position
An emailed statement from the Department of Health and Community Services says that no decision has been made on the July 17 date. "The epidemiology in this province and what is happening in other provinces and territories will determine if this province’s travel order changes on that date."
To learn more about the public health guidance on who can enter Newfoundland and Labrador, what qualifies as an extenuating circumstance and travel restrictions currently in place, visit https://www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19/travel-restrictions/.
Twitter: WS_DianeCrocker
