Crossing into Canada
Do we need more then a enhanced drivers license to get into Canada going to Alaska?
Forum Discussion
The same issues apply to Canadians that have enhanced drivers licenses from BC, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Quebec is dropping their EDL and not issuing any after Sept 30, 2014. Current, Quebec EDLs, will be good till they expire. As mentioned above, the EDLs are good only for land and water entry into either country, no air.
A year or so back, our local paper here in Florida, had an article about a Canadian snowbird couple, that drove their car down here and crossed into the US on their provincial EDL. About mid way through the winter, they had an emergency situation develop, back home and needed to return to Canada quickly. But found out they couldn't buy a plane ticket, back into Canada, without a passport. The article stated they ended up flying to upstate New York, renting a car and driving across the border. It mentioned they both applied for a Canadian passport, while they were back home, before returning to Florida to finish out their stay.
I suspect the EDLs were created mainly for people that cross over and back, often, for work, shopping, to see family, to farm, etc. Passports just aren't that expensive in the long scheme of things, a bit of a hassle at times to get or renew but overall somewhat painless.
It is my understanding that if you cross into Canada on an EDL and get sick and need to be airlifted back to the US, for insurance coverage, you have a problem. If you have a passport, no problem. Now I have also been told if you do die, from your illness, while in Canada on an EDL, then the rule no longer applies, for them to ship your body back to the US by air. A very comforting thought, I am sure.
A year or so back, our local paper here in Florida, had an article about a Canadian snowbird couple, that drove their car down here and crossed into the US on their provincial EDL. About mid way through the winter, they had an emergency situation develop, back home and needed to return to Canada quickly. But found out they couldn't buy a plane ticket, back into Canada, without a passport. The article stated they ended up flying to upstate New York, renting a car and driving across the border. It mentioned they both applied for a Canadian passport, while they were back home, before returning to Florida to finish out their stay.
I suspect the EDLs were created mainly for people that cross over and back, often, for work, shopping, to see family, to farm, etc. Passports just aren't that expensive in the long scheme of things, a bit of a hassle at times to get or renew but overall somewhat painless.
It is my understanding that if you cross into Canada on an EDL and get sick and need to be airlifted back to the US, for insurance coverage, you have a problem. If you have a passport, no problem. Now I have also been told if you do die, from your illness, while in Canada on an EDL, then the rule no longer applies, for them to ship your body back to the US by air. A very comforting thought, I am sure.
