Canada to reopen borders to nonessential travel- first to Americans

[oscar]

It's the 'random' testing you might have to do once you arrive......and if you test positive you will be sent into quarantine and have to be able to show you have a plan for this. You've now entered Canada, had contacts here and won't just be sent back to the US.

Stupid Question: So even if you are honest on everything but randomly test positive one can essentially be detained for 14 days by Health Canada/ CBSA, instead of being allowed immediate reentry to the US?

I suppose they could do that, but if you read the Canadian Government's website, it says you are allowed to exit quarantine to leave Canada.

But you have to use your own vehicle to leave voluntarily. You can't take a plane or other public transportation back to the U.S. In the story told by Kalvado in reply #154 above, the engineer ordered into quarantine had flown into Canada, and could fly back into the U.S. only under a deportation order, something that would at least complicate any return to Canada.

One other thing: if you are ordered into quarantine in Canada due to a positive test result (rather than just a Canadian border agent deciding for other reasons that you didn't qualify for a quarantine exemption), even if you can voluntarily exit Canadian quarantine, might a U.S. border agent make you immediately quarantine in the U.S.?

[ghYHZ]

There are more manageable travel restrictions......... Maritime Provinces (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland/Labrador)

Maritime Provinces: New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

Atlantic Provinces: New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland/Labrador

[Dougtone]

Some Canadian provinces and territories have travel restrictions in addition to the border crossing rules established by Canada's federal government. Here is a handy guide to the restrictions still in place for travel within Canada.

The unwelcome mat is still out for leisure or other non-essential travel, including for Canadian travelers, to Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and far northern Quebec (including the James Bay Road/Route Billy-Diamond Highway). There are more manageable travel restrictions for Manitoba and the Maritime Provinces (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland/Labrador), which you should check if you want to go there. Otherwise, getting across the U.S./Canada border will be the hard part.

I looked into this further, since I am planning to take a long-postponed trip to the Maritimes next year (specifically New Brunswick and Nova Scotia). It appears that New Brunswick has dropped their travel registration program (I believe this was after the Government of Canada page was last updated on 7/29/21).  Nova Scotia has a travel registration program called the Safe Check-In Form that needs to be filled out prior to visiting Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island has something similar called PEI Pass. Prince Edward Island's PEI Pass page states that they expect the PEI Pass program to continue until the state of emergency has ended, which they anticipate to be sometime in the middle of September.

I am not anticipating visiting Canada this year due to other travel plans that I wound up making instead, but I am itching to get back up to Canada.

[zzcarp]

I'll pass on anything interesting my dad experiences when crossing tomorrow.

I'll be heading that way on August 21.

I'd be interested to know if they actually ask about the quarantine plan of if it's basically a non-issue.

My dad's experience was they didn't ask about the quarantine plan. The border guard did look at the negative test receipt and vaccine card along with the regular passport requirement.

[on_wisconsin]

One other thing: if you are ordered into quarantine in Canada due to a positive test result (rather than just a Canadian border agent deciding for other reasons that you didn't qualify for a quarantine exemption), even if you can voluntarily exit Canadian quarantine, might a U.S. border agent make you immediately quarantine in the U.S.?

One could imagine, provided the individual is a legal US resident, it may bring up a whole host of issues, constitutionality, possible Miranda stuff, etc. (Again IANAL tho...)

[jakeroot]

(Again IANAL tho...)

ack, there's that acronym again. Never saw it until the last week, now I've seen it twice (well, three times). 🤮

[KEK Inc.]

I'll pass on anything interesting my dad experiences when crossing tomorrow.

I'll be heading that way on August 21.

I'd be interested to know if they actually ask about the quarantine plan of if it's basically a non-issue.

My dad's experience was they didn't ask about the quarantine plan. The border guard did look at the negative test receipt and vaccine card along with the regular passport requirement.

Mine was the same experience.  Agent didn't ask about quarantine plan.  Did he fill out the ArriveCAN app? 

Curious because I did, and I'm wondering if the agent just sees what I put on the app when they scan my passport.


iPhone

[TXtoNJ]

I'll pass on anything interesting my dad experiences when crossing tomorrow.

I'll be heading that way on August 21.

I'd be interested to know if they actually ask about the quarantine plan of if it's basically a non-issue.

My dad's experience was they didn't ask about the quarantine plan. The border guard did look at the negative test receipt and vaccine card along with the regular passport requirement.

Mine was the same experience.  Agent didn't ask about quarantine plan.  Did he fill out the ArriveCAN app? 

Curious because I did, and I'm wondering if the agent just sees what I put on the app when they scan my passport.


iPhone

Yes, that's how ArriveCan works

[jakeroot]

Got my negative results in today. I have a hotel stay already planned for the night of 15 August, so the quarantine plan is no issue. Planning to pass through the border around 9am tomorrow.

The application asked for both (a) crossing location, and (b) crossing time. Does anyone know how solid these have to be?

[KEK Inc.]

Got my negative results in today. I have a hotel stay already planned for the night of 15 August, so the quarantine plan is no issue. Planning to pass through the border around 9am tomorrow.

The application asked for both (a) crossing location, and (b) crossing time. Does anyone know how solid these have to be?

I was pretty accurate on mine.  We just went through peace arch.  I figured sumas and the truck entry would have stricter agents.

I'm sure timing is lenient m.


iPhone

[TXtoNJ]

Got my negative results in today. I have a hotel stay already planned for the night of 15 August, so the quarantine plan is no issue. Planning to pass through the border around 9am tomorrow.

The application asked for both (a) crossing location, and (b) crossing time. Does anyone know how solid these have to be?

Not that solid - just pick the right location, and some time the day you're crossing.

I disagree with KEK - my experiences with Sumas/Huntingdon have been much smoother than with Peace Arch all throughout the campaign. Mainly because most tourists/day trippers don't have much reason to go to Abbotsford. If I were to guess, Lynden/Aldergrove would be the smoothest of all.

[jakeroot]

I was going to aim for Aldergrove but since the hotel is downton on Howe St, I wasn't necessarily looking to detour all the way east out there.

I have submitted my ArriveCAN application, all is approved. I suspect it may be too late to change from Douglas to Aldergrove.

[vdeane]

It would seem that when Canada opened up the land border, they also opened the water border back up as well:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/pb-pp-eng.html#s07

[oscar]

One other thing: if you are ordered into quarantine in Canada due to a positive test result (rather than just a Canadian border agent deciding for other reasons that you didn't qualify for a quarantine exemption), even if you can voluntarily exit Canadian quarantine, might a U.S. border agent make you immediately quarantine in the U.S.?

One could imagine, provided the individual is a legal US resident, it may bring up a whole host of issues, constitutionality, possible Miranda stuff, etc. (Again IANAL tho...)

While I am a retired lawyer, I'm not going to venture into such issues (for among other reasons, well outside my former legal specialty). But the border agent might bypass some of those issues, with a phone call to a Federal, state, or local public health official who would have authority to put you in quarantine.

[stevashe]

It would seem that when Canada opened up the land border, they also opened the water border back up as well:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/pb-pp-eng.html#s07

Yeah, they did. Maritime entry is one of the options on the first page of the ArriveCAN app. The others being arrival by land and air, of course.

[Bruce]

It would seem that when Canada opened up the land border, they also opened the water border back up as well:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/pb-pp-eng.html#s07

Sadly even with the maritime border reopened, the Sidney run from Anacortes will remain suspended until next year.

https://www.vicnews.com/news/sidney-to-anacortes-ferry-suspended-until-fall-2021/

[ghYHZ]

Although other International Travel  with Canada won't reopen until September....this Border did along with the US last week: the 'France-Canada' Border between St- Pierre and Newfoundland and the first scheduled arrival of the new vehicle ferry. Previously this was a pedestrian only ferry and had been suspended for 17 months.

https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/saintpierremiquelon/transport-maritime-des-retrouvailles-attendues-entre-saint-pierre-et-miquelon-et-fortune-1077934.html

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/st-pierre-miquelon-fortune-ferry-1.6138866

[Dougtone]

It would seem that when Canada opened up the land border, they also opened the water border back up as well:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/pb-pp-eng.html#s07

I recall this being a concern with boaters in the Thousand Islands, who would traditionally cross the international border going between islands, even if their starting point and destination were in the same country.

[jakeroot]

Passed through the border around 0915 today, and it involved two checkpoints. That's one more than usual for the uninformed.

Driving north on I-5, US CBP had the lanes closed just past the final exit to Blaine, and directed all traffic into a small lay-by. Each car was stopped, asked to shut the engine off and provide keys to an agent; numerous questions asked about future travel itinerary, bags searched, car searched, etc. Then I was given the OK to leave. NEVER been stopped by CBP going into Canada. I'm not even used to checkpoints in Washington. Very odd experience.

The actual Canadian border was pretty straightforward, apart from having to provide the negative COVID tests. Typical questions about travel plans, hotel stays. Nothing about quarantine plans. Never showed my phone. Provided the two ID's that I noted in the ArriveCAN app, and we were good.

I managed to record the whole experience on dashcam, which I will upload later.

[cl94]

Passed through the border around 0915 today, and it involved two checkpoints. That's one more than usual for the uninformed.

Driving north on I-5, US CBP had the lanes closed just past the final exit to Blaine, and directed all traffic into a small lay-by. Each car was stopped, asked to shut the engine off and provide keys to an agent; numerous questions asked about future travel itinerary, bags searched, car searched, etc. Then I was given the OK to leave. NEVER been stopped by CBP going into Canada. I'm not even used to checkpoints in Washington. Very odd experience.

The actual Canadian border was pretty straightforward, apart from having to provide the negative COVID tests. Typical questions about travel plans, hotel stays. Nothing about quarantine plans. Never showed my phone. Provided the two ID's that I noted in the ArriveCAN app, and we were good.

I managed to record the whole experience on dashcam, which I will upload later.

CBP will occasionally do random exit checks and they have for a while. In the many dozens of times I have crossed the border, I got exit checked exactly once at the Peace Bridge. It's not common, but it happens.

[TXtoNJ]

Passed through the border around 0915 today, and it involved two checkpoints. That's one more than usual for the uninformed.

Driving north on I-5, US CBP had the lanes closed just past the final exit to Blaine, and directed all traffic into a small lay-by. Each car was stopped, asked to shut the engine off and provide keys to an agent; numerous questions asked about future travel itinerary, bags searched, car searched, etc. Then I was given the OK to leave. NEVER been stopped by CBP going into Canada. I'm not even used to checkpoints in Washington. Very odd experience.

The actual Canadian border was pretty straightforward, apart from having to provide the negative COVID tests. Typical questions about travel plans, hotel stays. Nothing about quarantine plans. Never showed my phone. Provided the two ID's that I noted in the ArriveCAN app, and we were good.

I managed to record the whole experience on dashcam, which I will upload later.

Same thing happened to me last week. Think they're expecting the drug smuggling to ramp up with the border opening.

[vdeane]

Exit checks should be illegal.  It's the Canadian border, not the Berlin Wall!

It would seem that when Canada opened up the land border, they also opened the water border back up as well:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/pb-pp-eng.html#s07

Yeah, they did. Maritime entry is one of the options on the first page of the ArriveCAN app. The others being arrival by land and air, of course.

It would seem that when Canada opened up the land border, they also opened the water border back up as well:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/pb-pp-eng.html#s07

I recall this being a concern with boaters in the Thousand Islands, who would traditionally cross the international border going between islands, even if their starting point and destination were in the same country.

Yes, I was talking about recreational boating - not ferries.  There are many places in the 1000 Islands where avoiding crossing the border is impractical, especially east of Chippewa Bay where all the dredged material from building the Seaway was dumped (resulting in places where the water goes from dozens of feet deep to only a foot or two very quickly).  Plus who wants to keep track of where the line is when they're out there, anyways?

[cu2010]

I recall this being a concern with boaters in the Thousand Islands, who would traditionally cross the international border going between islands, even if their starting point and destination were in the same country.

Yes, I was talking about recreational boating - not ferries.  There are many places in the 1000 Islands where avoiding crossing the border is impractical, especially east of Chippewa Bay where all the dredged material from building the Seaway was dumped (resulting in places where the water goes from dozens of feet deep to only a foot or two very quickly).  Plus who wants to keep track of where the line is when they're out there, anyways?

So long as they don't land in the other country it's a non-issue. As a result, a local tour boat company is finally able to resume its usual tour route as opposed to the modified US-only one they were forced to use since last summer.

[zzcarp]

Exit checks should be illegal.  It's the Canadian border, not the Berlin Wall!

Exactly, obviously CBP is way overstaffed if they have time to harass people going to Canada.

I have another border crossing story. My friend and his wife crossed from Washington to BC Saturday, not sure which crossing. They had attempted Friday and were turned back-my friend's test was 72.5 hours old. He seemed surprised they are sticklers on the test timing. Luckily he figured out how to get a 24-hour turnaround test at the Bellingham airport so they could enter.

[kkt]

Exit checks should be illegal.  It's the Canadian border, not the Berlin Wall!

Exactly, obviously CBP is way overstaffed if they have time to harass people going to Canada.

Doesn't really follow, we've had waits of four hours coming into the U.S. when their budget wasn't being lowballed.  They just spend their budget places other than the Canadian border and don't care much if that's inconvenient.