Happy Canada Day long weekend!
While many are planning to remain in town this weekend, there are plenty who plan to travel across the border to do some shopping and visit friends and family.
RELATED: Canada Day Celebrations Across Metro Vancouver, By City
Given Canada Day falls on a Friday, and Independence Day falls on a Monday, both Canadians and Americans will be celebrating the long weekend which is expected to lead to heavy traffic at the borders.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is anticipating heavy traffic over the four-day period and is advising travellers to be prepared to face delays.
According to the CBSA, 20,821 vehicles entered Canada through five Lower Mainland crossings on Canada Day in 2015, which fell on a Wednesday.
The busiest crossings were the Douglas port of entry and the Pacific Highway port of entry, which saw 8,321 and 5,179 vehicles respectively.
To help made your cross-border trip slightly less frustrating, the CBSA has listed the following tips:
Plan ahead: Cross the border in the morning, especially if you plan to cross on a Sunday or Monday. The Douglas port of entry is the busiest land border crossing in British Columbia (B.C.), and longer wait times begin building in the afternoon and carry on throughout the evening. Alternatively, travellers can return to Canada through nearby ports of entry like the ports of Aldergrove, Abbotsford-Huntingdon or Pacific Highway (the truck crossing). For border wait times, download the CanBorder app, visit the CBSA website, or follow us on Twitter for hourly updates from each port of entry.
Be prepared: Have your travel documents, proper identification for all persons in the vehicle, and receipts from purchases outside of Canada ready to present to the border services officer. Be ready to declare all goods purchased and/or received while outside the country.
Know your exemption limits: If you plan to make purchases or pick up online purchases across the border, be aware of your exemption limits. Be sure to check the CBSA duty and taxes estimator to calculate taxes on goods purchased in the United States and to help you make informed decisions when shopping abroad.
Ask the CBSA officer: The single best thing you can do to enter into Canada as quickly as possible is to simply be open and honest with the CBSA officer. If you are not sure about what to declare, don’t hesitate to ask.
Photo: GoToVan / Flickr
