Eager Ottawa and eastern Ontario travellers prepare for reopening of U.S. land border
The U.S. is set to reopen its land borders to fully vaccinated Canadians on Nov. 8 after keeping the border closed to non-essential travel since the start of the pandemic.
However, if you're planning a trip south, you'll need to be well prepared and have the right documents ready to go.
When the border opens for the first time in 20 months, Justin Bosquet will be counting down the days until he passes through customs.
"We're trying to get out, we haven't been to a football game yet this year and with the sounds of the border opening, as soon as we heard that news we bought our tickets that day," said Bosquet.
He and a group of friends will be travelling to Buffalo for an NFL football game in mid-November.
"We're going to celebrate you know but we're a little bit confused with the PCR testing and truthfully all the rules and regulations involved in crossing the land border right now," said Bosquet.
Beyond normal documentation to cross the border, you can now only do so if you're fully vaccinated and proof will be required. A negative COVID test won't be necessary to enter the U.S., but it will be required to re-enter Canada and must be done within 72 hours of entry.
The rules apply regardless of how long your trip is.
"You need to expect to wait a little while, we're expecting there will be significant lineups at the border. You wanna make sure you have snacks, drinks, and your mind ready to be waiting an hour or two hours," said Jeff Walker, CEO of CAA North and East Ontario.
The U.S. land border has been closed to non-essential travel since March 2020, while Canada reopened its border to non-essential American travellers in August.
"All the snowbirds are getting excited about going down to the U.S., people are getting excited and they're ready to go," said Walker.
The move to reopen the U.S. land borders is a welcome step toward normalcy for travellers like Bosquet.
"We're beyond excited to hear the news, you know it gives us a little bit of sense of that life coming back we're a let o go out and enjoy the things we want to do and football is one of them," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.