36
QUEBEC: Head to backwoods crossings
BY INGRID PERITZ
Hot on the heels of the Canada geese, another formidable migration is expected to head south from Montreal this weekend. Instead of grouping together in elegant V-formations, this species will tailgate on highways and mass aggressively at border crossings.
There will be plenty of honking, however.
Traffic backs up on the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, Ont., last month. (Charla Jones/Globe and Mail)
The Thanksgiving weekend, coupled with a strong dollar and upbeat weather forecast in the Montreal area, are expected to produce a crush of south-bound vacationers and shoppers heading into the United States.
U.S. border officials say there's no magic formula to avoid lines and aggravation, but a few tricks may smooth the way. Armed with a good map, one could try avoiding the largest border crossings altogether and head to staffed backwoods entry points into the United States.
"These crossings aren't used frequently except by local people, so they're never going to see long backups," said James McMillan, area port director at Highgate Springs, Vt., the main port of entry between Montreal and Burlington, Vt., as well as Boston and other destinations in the northeastern United States.
The best way to beat crowds is to arrive before 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, Mr. McMillan said. Border traffic on Fridays can begin as early as 3 p.m. by the early-out-of-the-office crowd.
Southbound Canadians can check on waiting times at major crossings on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website at apps.cbp.gov/bwt.
The border crossing at Champlain, N.Y., the main entryway between Montreal and New York, as well as the cross-border shopping destination of Plattsburgh, N.Y., is undergoing some construction work, which may cause delays. Staff will be added to meet demand, but a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection had only one piece of advice: Be patient.
Finally, it's worth remembering there's no surefire way to avoid delays at the U.S. border — short of staying home and spending hard-earned cash in Canada.
ONTARIO: Take advantage of many options
BY UNNATI GANDHI
Ontarians have the luxury of choice when it comes to crossing the border, and they should use that to their advantage this long weekend, border officials say.
With the mass exodus set to begin as early as noon on Friday and to last as late as Tuesday morning, waiting times at certain bridges and tunnels could average well over an hour at peak times, according to Ronald Smith, the spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the State of Michigan.
Even though the number of border screeners working will be boosted to ensure all booths remain open for the Canadian Thanksgiving and American Columbus Day long weekend, he said, avoid getting to the border until 11 a.m. Saturday, if possible.
By then, most of the rush will have likely passed.
Three ports — Detroit, Port Huron and Sault Ste. Marie — lead to Michigan, with Detroit being the most popular among Ontarians.
Chief Smith said the Ambassador Bridge sees an average of 3,000 vehicles cross over into Detroit a day, but that number nearly doubles on long weekends.
"This weekend will be no different," he said.
Taking the 402 to Sarnia's Bluewater Bridge, where there can be as many as 10 passenger booths open, may save some time.
If heading to New York, Buffalo alone has four points of entry: the Lewiston Bridge, the Peace Bridge, the Rainbow Bridge and the Whirlpool Bridge (which is only for NEXUS users).
But Kevin Corsaro, the U.S. Customs spokesman for the State of New York, says if drivers plan to cross the Rainbow Bridge, try to go either a few hours before 11 a.m. or a few hours after.
There are a lot of hotels near that bridge, so border officials see a wave of vehicles around that checkout time.
Also, the Lewiston Bridge is usually the first to be backed up because it has fewer lanes for primary inspections, he said.
B.C.: Check wait times before leaving
BY CATHRYN ATKINSON
Just 50 kilometres from the nearest U.S. border crossing, residents of Greater Vancouver have long enjoyed easy access to the United States and its shopping amenities. The two busiest crossings in B.C., the Douglas (more widely known as Peace Arch) and the Pacific Highway crossings, are just south of the cities of White Rock and Surrey.
Both crossings had "substantially" higher numbers of Canadians over the summer since dollar parity with the greenback seemed likely, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Mike Milne.
Waiting times of up to three hours are common at peak periods, with thousands of vehicles crossing daily.
Those who wish to avoid the Peace Arch and Pacific Highway borders when they are backed up, he said, should drive to the Fraser Valley crossings of Aldergrove and Huntingdon, about 20 and 40 minutes further east, respectively.
In the short term, he said, rising levels of Canadian visitors are expected to shop in Bellingham and Seattle, Wash., in the run-up to Christmas, and officials are anticipating a busy Thanksgiving-Columbus Day long weekend beginning Friday.
Bucking the trend, Mr. Milne said, was the Okanagan border crossing at Osoyoos, which saw 30,000 fewer vehicles crossing from Canada in the past year.
Other borders did not reach the levels of activity seen in the Lower Mainland.
Mr. Milne advised visitors to "know before you go" by checking out waiting times online or over the radio.
He said that arriving at border crossings before 10 a.m. most days will help in avoiding the worst of the congestion, and suggested that crossings in the Interior might be a better option for those heading to eastern Washington State or Idaho.
He added that waiting times were likely to increase at the Peace Arch crossing in November because of the start of construction of a new checkpoint facility.
