Editorial: No, it's not fair

It wasn't supposed to happen. This summer was expected to be better for Wrangell, for the rest of Southeast and for the entire state of Alaska.

It was supposed to be the summer of recovery, or at least the start of it. Not a full recovery to the 2019 level of visitor traffic, but full of hope and at least busier charter boats, stores, hotels and bed-and-breakfasts.

Then Canada decided it wasn't safe enough to open its waters to cruise ships - not with COVID infection rates still so high. That wasn't part of the summer of recovery plan for Alaska.

There is talk of convincing Congress and the Biden administration to grant a waiver from a century-old U.S. maritime law so that the foreign-flagged cruise ships can run between Seattle and Alaska without stopping in a Canadian port. Maybe that will succeed, but no one should count on it.

There is talk of convincing Congress, the Biden administration and the state of Alaska to appropriate more money to help beleaguered communities that will suffer lost sales tax revenues, jobs and commerce from the lack of cruise ship visitors.

And there is talk that maybe Canada will change its mind as vaccinations increase and COVID counts decrease - or maybe higher political powers can convince Canada to change its mind.

Maybe all that talk with produce results, but no one should bank on it. Wrangell, and the rest of Southeast, may be on its own this summer.

This means the community needs to focus on marketing to independent travelers who arrive by plane and state ferry. We need to welcome - within the bounds of safe health practices - travelers who arrive on the smaller ships that stay in Southeast Alaska the entire summer and don't need to worry about running through Canadian waters each week.

And residents especially need to shop local whenever possible. With limited money coming in from outside Wrangell, it's important to keep what we have in town. Our businesses and residents need our support, not just shopping but donations and help for community members in need.

Maybe assistance will come from outside of town. But if not, we still have to make it through 2021 as best we can. It's not our fault, but we can all do our part to help.

- the Wrangell Sentinel