Ogdensburg, NY UPS Store has 9,000 to 10,000 packages for Canadians waiting to be picked up when border reopens
The UPS Store in Ogdensburg, New York has thousands of packages addressed to residents in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario waiting for pick-up when the Canada-U.S. land border reopens next month.
A White House official says the U.S. will announce Friday that it will reopen its land borders to vaccinated non-essential visitors on Nov. 8.
With the border being closed to travellers for 19 months, some packages have been sitting at the UPS Store in Ogdensburg for nearly two years.
"There's at least between nine and 10,000 (packages)," said Orin Wing, manager of the UPS Store in Ogdensburg during an interview on CTV Morning Live.
"It's been continuing. We've had packages coming in the entire time, just nobody coming in the door from the Canadian side."
Wing says the freight section of the facility has been full since the start of the pandemic.
"We have packages still here from December 2019," said Wing Friday morning.
"We used to charge holding fees for packages – once a package is here longer than two weeks we charge $5 a week for those packages. But once the pandemic hit we understood that the Canadians weren't going to be able to come over and it's not their fault at all, so we waived all the holding fees for all our customers. We still got everything here."
Wing says businesses in Ogdensburg are "relieved" the border will soon be open for non-essential travellers.
"It has been tough for a lot of the community, a lot of restaurants have closed, a lot of people have lost their jobs, lot of people running short staffed," said Wing.
"The fact that it's happening right now, we're losing another business here by the end of the month, the fact that the Canadians are going to be able to come back over is going to help a lot of people over here on this side."
If you have a package to pick up at the UPS Store in Ogdensburg, Wing has some advice.
"They can either call us ahead of time and let us know if they've got more than one or two packages – just let us know the day they're going to be coming over, we can pull them ahead of time and we'll set them aside. It will make it a little bit easier for each of the customers when they come in."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
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.
B.C. man used Bobcat as 'weapon' while chasing away homeless people, judge says
A B.C. man has been convicted of assault with a weapon after using a skid-steer Bobcat to chase two homeless people from his lawn, injuring one of them in the process.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
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.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
'Nobody should be getting away with murder': Grieving mother speaks out after son killed in North Preston, N.S.
A grieving mother is speaking out after her 36-year-old son was shot and killed in North Preston, N.S., Wednesday night.
Toronto-area dessert shop featured by Keith Lee forced to move after zoning complaint
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.