Border

Of course they are lying.

moisheh wrote:
Wm. Elliot. Canada was slow when the pandemic started but we have a better record than the USA. Larger % vaccinated.

Proves that WH Covid coordinator is lying. The delay with land border reopening has nothing to do with Delta or any other Covid-related risk. If it did, they would've required testing of all incoming travellers, including US citizens and permanent residents, like they do in airports.

My theory is that they are not ready. That is, CBP at the land border are not ready.

Wm. Elliot. Canada was slow when the pandemic started but we have a better record than the USA. Larger % vaccinated.

Wm.Elliot wrote:
There are probably others who feel as I - an easily understood and fairly speedy border crossing has ended.

....over the past appx. 10 days, I have seen 4 Maine plated vehicles (obviously) driving here for vacation.

Based on friends of ours (who live in NYC) that have crossed into Quebec by private car regularly since the land border was opened to US citizens, there is virtually no testing done at the Canadian land border into Quebec. As long as the US citizen fills out the online ArriveCan app before arriving, no testing at the border.

I live about 120 miles from the Quebec/Canadian border. The only Canadian plated vehicle I see here in Maine are OTR semis. I can't remember the last passenger vehicle I've seen with Canadian plates.
I have heard various news stories about nearby hospitals not providing tests for travelers headed to Canada.
Eastern provinces - especially Quebec used to take over Old Orchard Beach in the summer and on certain routes (like 201)were heavily used by beach - bound Canadians.
As one who has traveled to Canada for a few nights 70 plus times over the years Canada has lost its attraction to me. The news stories I read about Canada's response to Covid, plus the 15 plus month border closure has caused me to lose interest. Too much trouble, too much bureaucracy, and too many hoops to jump through. There are probably others who feel as I - an easily understood and fairly speedy border crossing has ended.

Wm.Elliot wrote:
It should be mentioned that residents of the United States can cross the border north and south at will. As screwy as these times are I don't foresee this changing.

I can confirm 100% that US plated cars are coming into southern Quebec's vacation playground (the Eastern Townships) almost like pre Covid times. US plated cars started coming across like a trickle the 2nd week of August; by August 28th -ish, we were seeing US vehicles pulling tow trailers, Class B's, C's, A's, cars with roof racks with bicycles, you name it coming into the Townships. We were at the yacht club on Sunday on a lake shared with US territory (Lake Memphremagog), and US visitors in cars were jumping aboard sailboats left and right, off for a day's sailing in Quebec.

We are fully vaccinated Canadians, and I do not foresee the US land border opening to Canadian drivers wanting to cross and go south for vacation, snowbirding, or wanting to traverse across the US
into Mexico perhaps ever again (well, at least for the next year, 2 or God forbid, 3). There is no logical reason why US citizens fully vaccinated can drive into Canada at will for any reason whatsoever, and Canadians are 100% prohibited from driving south. The only speculation I can come up with is: Biden and Trudeau had made some back-room deal? Or, perhaps the US had a head's up 1.9 months ago that a Canadian Federal election was imminent, and that the US Feds wanted to wait and see who was elected, before allowing Canadian land crossing to restart. But, your guess is as good as mine!

In the interim, as Playaboy notes, Canadians will have to pay THOUSANDS to have their RV rigs shipped south, where the shippers make arrangements for Canadian RV owners to jump aboard short-hop cross-border flights (basically, small charters) where Canadians can intercept their rigs 10, 20, 30 miles south of the Canadian border, and continue driving "south" from "there". However, for the retiree, that is hellaciously expensive when you add the $250 to $400 + tax cost per person a Canadian snowbird will need to pay to get a Canada-side Covid test 72 hours before the chartered flight across the border, in order to "meet their rigs".

It should be mentioned that residents of the United States can cross the border north and south at will. As screwy as these times are I don't foresee this changing.
Previous discussions here had me planning to use the Del Rio crossing rather than the Laredo crossing I've used for many years. Recent news (non-shortwave) leaked that the Del Rio crossing is closed and is the site of thousands of people trying to enter the US. Furthermore US border response personnel has filled all nearby hotels and depleted inventories on store shelves in and around Del Rio. The smattering of video reports available (FAA flight restrictions) reveal absolutely no vehicle traffic passing north or south over the bridge.
Meanwhile traffic is still flowing in Laredo bridge #2 webcam
Del Rio... not so much Del Rio border webcam

These restrictions have nothing to do with covid. And they are going to get worse this Fall. If these restrictions were to stop the spread of covid than there would be no loopholes. This is about control.

Canadians are just a hair width away from Australia type restrictions, 5km home zone.

To my Canadian cousins. Get out while you can. More restrictions are coming (just re-elected the "RESTRICTOR"). I know it is costly for you to hire someone to drive your rig south and then fly to get around the restrictions, very EXPENSIVE. You just have to pay more and jump thru hopes to do what you always did.

If you make it to Mexico, I can transport your rig from Mexico to the USA for your return trip north in the Spring for a little less money than those Canadian companies charge.

Come on down, sit on a warm beach, and sip some pina coladas.

Here is a link from July. It is the same as what I read this am. The Detroit Free Press has a similar current article but you need a subscription. O will keep looking.

"Biden's move on US-Canada border could have more to do with Mexico border - Detroit Regional Chamber" https://www.detroitchamber.com/bidens-move-on-us-canada-border-could-have-more-to-do-with-mexico-border/

Almot in one of my searches a reporter made the comment that sources told him the part about Mexico. Could be a rumor but makes sense. Fir some reason the wh does not want to upset amlo.