Canadian Border - Insights? - Speculation?
 

I am hoping to cross into Canada from the contigious 48. I would enjoy insights and pure speculation is fine as well.

When, where, and why?

Any answer will consist largely of speculation anyway, but unless you can provide the above it's unlikely it'll be of much use. For example, I can cross the border right now if I can give (and substantiate) a valid reason, e.g., an essential occupation. Earlier in the course of events I could have crossed to visit with immediate family, which I've got, but I understand that's no longer true. Transport of commercial goods is supposed to continue unimpeded, but entering Canada for purposes of recreation and tourism is totally forbidden (not that much is available these days--in BC, everything's shut down cold).

I'm guessing (<-deliberate choice of terms) I could still enter Canada if, say, my sister were sick. In practical terms, the border is a 25 minute drive from my house, so I wouldn't be risking much if I tried. That's not so much the case in Springfield MS. Crossings in my neighborhood have fallen by ~98%.

If flying, just ask your airline (if you can get through over the phone); they'll have up to date information, mostly, because they don't want to have to ship you back home if you're refused entry. Do bear in mind that AFAIK there is currently a mandatory 14 day quarantine upon entry at your own expense--if you don't have this set up in advance, the Canadian government says it'll assign one, charging appropriately for the service.

If you're wondering about a summer vacation, there will surely be major differences between May 15th and the end of August. If I wanted to inform myself of future possibilities, I'd be reading the major Canadian newspapers for clues about what the summer might hold. Of course, they're guessing too...

Don't know if that's helpful, but I hope so.

Mark

What we know:

The border closure between the US and Canada, which was supposed to expire on April 21, has been extended for another 30 days. So presumably until May 21.


What we don't know:
Everything else.


Everything below is purely personal opinion and I've been horrendously wrong on how this virus would play out in the past. So take it for what it's worth.

I would not count on being able to come into this country until maybe in the fall. But that's really just a guess of mine. An Air Canada Vice President feels that we may once again be flying all over the world by Christmas but who knows.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/air...wide-1.5551402

The Premier of Ontario has said "If you're not from this province, we don't want you here". Even though we're slowly starting to open up for ourselves, I personally don't think we'll be opening up to foreigners any time soon. We've been doing comparatively well and I think our leaders will try to keep it that way. At least I hope they do, considering that the US is one of the hardest hit countries on the planet. I would guess that the situation would have to be under firm control in the US before leisure travel to Canada is once more permitted.

As Mark also pointed out there is the matter of the legally mandated 14 day quarantine for anyone coming into the country, even our own residents coming back home. I can't see that being dropped until we have the virus under control all over the world and/or there is a mandatory vaccine.

The way it stands now we're for the most part not even supposed to be travelling within our own country ourselves. I suspect that even if the border does open up there will initially be a less than enthusiastic reception by many Canadians.

So don't get your hopes up and take it day by day. Now is not the time to make any firm travel plans.

Personally, even though I'm going through withdrawal symptoms already, have resigned myself to the idea that my next trip will have to wait til the summer of 2021.

...Michelle

It has now been extended for another 30 days, to June 21.

Personally, I don't expect to travel outside British Columbia until sometime next year. If things go well, maybe I'll be able to visit my folks in the interior this summer.

When I'm tempted to complain, which happens a lot, I remind myself that by design I live in an area where there's lots to do, see, and experience. There are much worse places to be stuck for a few--or more than a few--months, and I've lived in quite a few of them.

But yesterday I skied to exhaustion; tomorrow I'll mountain bike, also to exhaustion; today I worked hard in a career I enjoy. There's a lot I'm missing, but there's still a lot remaining in life.

Keep in mind that in addition to the closure of the USA/Canada border until (at least) June 21, there are also various restrictions on interprovincial travel within Canada. It's difficult to find up to date information about the interprovincial travel restrictions.

My guess is that the closure of the USA/Canada border will probably be extended again and again, and likely the border will not re-open for unrestricted tourist travel until the infection rate in the USA falls below 1 person per thousand. That might not happen this year.

As of today, the infection rate in the USA is more than double the Canadian infection rate, and the American infection rate is not trending downwards.

Michael

My president says that if we stop testing, we won't have any more cases. Seems an obvious solution....

The border closure HAS been extended again, to August 31. And it will almost certainly be extended again.

And I've got parts sitting in Blaine that I'll never see... :(

And a new poll shows that 85% of Canadians want the US border to stay closed until at least the end of the year.

https://globalnews.ca/news/7185471/u...onavirus-poll/

While that carries no legal weight I'd think that our minority government will very likely abide by that sentiment. So don't expect to be travelling to Canada anytime soon.

I've hoped for another outcome, but I'm compelled to agree with both of the above (although "never" covers a lot of ground!). Taken nationally--or even regionally--the US response to the pandemic has been so anemic and irresponsible that keeping the border closed looks quite reasonable as a first line of defense. The reported behaviors of some US residents allowed through on their way to Alaska hasn't helped; nor have the heavily-armed, battle-armored folks who've appeared even on the sleepy streets of my own town defending their right to get tattooed mask-free regardless of the consequences to anyone else.

I've put any hopes of visiting Canada for any reason at all on indefinite hold. This includes a planned scattering of my mother's ashes as well as various less-weighty plans involving motorcycle touring. Schemes to evade restrictions--e.g., I could ferry myself and bike directly to Alaska, then use my need to return home to enter Canada--seem distinctly unappealing in light of the justified fears and resentments of US residents which I'm hearing about, including from my own family.

Grant, I've had orders of Canadian mountain bike parts delivered without issues recently, so your need for parts from the States shouldn't present much of a problem, cost considerations aside. I'd almost volunteer to pick them up myself and toss them across the ditch along East Boundary Road in Lynden, but this sort of thing seems to attract a lot of attention from our over-equipped Border Patrol. I sure hope we all get back to normal at some point soon.

Mark