Busy weekend predicted for border crossings
Plan ahead for your Thanksgiving weekend if you are planning on crossing the border.
The Canadian Border Services Agency is expecting higher traffic volumes this weekend — particularly today and Monday.
The Coutts port of entry is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and has the largest capacity to process large volumes of travellers.
During peak hours, all primary inspection lanes will be open and the port will be operating at maximum capacity.
In Alberta, Carway and Del Bonita crossings are expected to see higher volume, while in B.C., Roosville and Kingsgate are also expecting increases.
There are a number of ways travellers can make their border crossing experience more manageable.
Arriving at the border in the morning, rather than in the afternoon or evening, offers the best chance of avoiding lineups. Travellers can also visit the CBSA website or use the CanBorder app to monitor wait times.
Having identification on hand and ready before arriving at the border can save time and make the crossing smoother. And for travellers who do not have a passport, the CBSA website lists other valid travel documents Canadians can use to cross the border.
Researching beforehand which items are allowed and which are banned from Canada can further save time. If in doubt, call the Border Information Service at 1-800-461-9999 and ask. It is also important to keep personal exemptions in mind, and to save and add up receipts, as a border officer may ask to see them.
In order to avoid the risk of penalties and charges, make a declaration of any purchases or goods acquired during time spent in the U.S. at the first available opportunity.
Finally, CBSA would like to ask travellers to remember if they are sent for further examination, it is not personal and there is no reason to panic. CBSA considers it a normal part of the border-crossing experience and is not an indication the traveller has done something wrong. There are a number of reasons for the examinations to occur — including random selection.
For more information, visit the CBSA website at cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.