No COVID-19 test required, but Canadians still need app for quick cross-border trips
On the first day of new rules allowing Canadians to make cross-border trips that are less than 72 hours without producing a negative PCR test upon return, many British Columbians didn’t realize they need the Arrive Can app on their phone and have to fill out a trip itinerary and quarantine plan in order to drive back home.
British Columbians who arrived at Canadian border crossings without that app were sent back into the lineup to re-enter the United States. They were told to download the app and fill out the details in Blaine, before lining up to drive home again.
A frustrated American border guard told CTV News 95 per cent of the traffic he saw at his booth today was British Columbians who had no idea they needed that app, and had been denied entry by Canadian Border Services agents.
He said some motorists who made mistakes on the Arrive Can app had been turned back multiple times, and blamed the Canadian government for not communicating the app requirement to travellers.
Rainy weather kept the cross-border shopping rush to a minimum on Tuesday, but some British Columbians did drive south to pick up packages they had shipped to Blaine before the pandemic. The parcels had been stuck there since March 2020.
“It’s really picked up, this is the first time we have had people standing in line in two years almost. And it’s really good to get some of these packages off the shelf, we are really full,” said Doug Hornsby from Border Mailbox and Parcel.
There were many B.C. licence plates in the parking lot at Cost Cutters grocery store in Blaine, too.
“I’m very happy we don't have to take a test. I’m triple vaccinated now, I just had my booster, and I think that’s sufficient,” said Surrey resident Ross Foreman, who came to buy products that aren’t available in Canada.
Cheap American gas was another must-buy for British Columbians who made the trek south on Tuesday.
“Right now there is rationing in Canada. So I can fill my car up with gas and save my 30 litres for someone else in Canada who needs it who doesn’t have the ability to come back and forth, because I live really close to the border,” said Foreman.
“The lady I got the gas from, she has already noticed a difference of people starting to come back,” he said.
British Columbians who are looking to cross the border for gas and groceries should download the Arrive Can app before they leave for their trip, and make sure they have the QR code confirming they can re-enter Canada.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
RateMDs violates privacy of health professionals, class-action lawsuit claims
A lawsuit against RateMDs has been given the go-ahead by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who found the claim that the website violates the privacy rights of medical professionals is not 'bound to fail.'
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.