I flew back into Canada through Toronto from Florida on July 1st, landed earlier than planned at 11.35pm.

I had my negative COVID test flying in, no issues on the plane, which had only about a dozen passengers. The flight attendant noted that most of the flights she's been assigned to going to Canada have been fairly empty (We both assumed this was due to the restrictions).

Upon landing, went to the automated check in kiosk before you speak to the border agents. Asked the standards questions (how long have you been away, why, etc.). They asked if I was staying at a quarantine hotel and I said no, I am quarantining at home because I live in the middle of nowhere, on a farm, with just my parents. The agent got out of his booth, handed me some paperwork, and escorted me to a seperate line up. He told me I needed to wait here to speak to Public Health. There are 3 health kiosks and 5 PH attendants.

There are 7 other people in front of me. A Chinese woman, a family of 3 from Hong Kong, a young teenager, and a Eastern European woman with her elderly mother.

The EE woman and her mother were quite distraught. Her mother was sitting on the floor, no one had offered her a seat. They were giving the daughter hassle because she booked quarantine at a hotel, but not a government approved one. 3 of these agents are crowding around her and her mother giving her hassle and then walk them through the steps of booking ANOTHER hotel right there. While this is happening, 4 Toronto officers and a border security agent are chatting about how ridiculous all these restrictions are and that they can only empathize with these people because they feel they are rightfully upset.

The lone Chinese woman goes up and explains, via a text-to-speech app, that she's here for 6 hours before she's boarding a connection to Boston. The agents tell her she has to go to a hotel. She explains the flight is at this airport at 6am. 2 PH attendants talk to the side for a few minutes and decide it's OK for her to wait in the airport. Meanwhile, the family of 3 is being processed and the teenager has explained thoroughly why he is in Canada for a week and can't do a full quarantine.

As I'm waiting, one of the agents comes up to me and asks me why I'm in this line. I told her I was sent to this line because I don't have a hotel booked. She asked if I had been vaccinated, where I was coming from, if I live alone, and whether they are over 65. I told her I wasn't vaccinated and both my parents are over 65 with no major debilitating health problems. She tells me, "Oh if you were vaccinated I could do something. But because you aren't and your parents are over 65, we need to take down information and get their consent." I told her I live there. She told me it doesn't matter, because they are over 65, they need to prioritize their health.

It's 12.30am by the time I sit down with another agent. They ask how long I was gone, where I was coming from, my address and contact info, and the names and contact info for my parents. I asked why and this agent said "We need to call them for their consent before we can let you go." I told her straight that it's 12.30am and you can't honestly expect either of them to be awake. In the mean time, a male agent has taken my license to issue the fine for breaking the Quarantine Act. This ticket is $6225. I take it and he stands back.

The agent who was taking my info is calling my mother now. Of course, no answer. I try calling. She asks if there's someone in the city I can stay with. I told her I'm not staying in a tiny apartment in the city with a friend when I can go to a house in the country with a lot more space. She has no response to this. 2 other agents come and stand by me and explain that if they don't pick up they will have to send me to a hotel.

Thankfully, on the 7th call, to my dad, he picks up. The agent I sat down with gives me to OK to leave this booth and stickers.my passport to proceed to the testing area.

It's 1am now. I get my bag, and exit the terminal to what was originally the greeting area for arrivals. Now it is a testing site. I line up, am registered by a "nurse" for a results app and he hands me my test kit. I proceed to another area where more "nurses" are and where they will swab me. As I sit down, this nurse make me blow my nose, then put the tissue in a bag to throw in the garbage (what happened to reducing waste?). She then swabs me nose, gives me the OK to see a final nurse, who stickers my passport with the date and hands me a take home test kit which I am to take on day 8 of my quarantine.

By the time I leave and get home, it is 2.30am on July 2. Now since I have been home, I have been consistently bombarded with emails, texts, and calls from the Government regarding my quarantine and to upload.my daily symptoms on the ARRIVE AN app (something you need to download and register on before you can board you flight to Canada). I just received a call to verify all my info and to make sure I'm staying home and "getting fresh air".

I have never been less proud to be a Canadian citizen and the fact people think this is alright, absolutely baffles me. I was born here and they wouldn't allow me to go to my place of permanent residence, because my elderly parents live with me.

Anyways, I figured for those of you planning to fly out or come back, reading about my experience may be helpful. Thanks for reading this lengthy post and cheers to you all.