Traveling from the US to Canada

thenewguy

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Yes, but what about the poutine?? To me, that in itself is a valid reason for visiting Montreal!
 

PlaneCrazy

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I love fries, I love gravy and I love cheese curds. But all three together? If you eat enough of it you won't think you died and have gone to heaven. You WILL die and go...hopefully to heaven!
 

thenewguy

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Hehehehe, I can deal with that!! We don't have it down here so I'll have to make the most of it, what harm can I do in three or four days? ;)
 

kharmin

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I'm listening to tthis right now -
"Cross-Border Broadcast" between WorldView with Jerome McDonald from WBEZ and AnnaMaria Tramonte(?) on The Current from CBCRadio1 - it's about actual experiences, yesterday, going through the screening at O'Hare and at Pearson in Toronto.

Here's the link to listen or download the program: It's the January 23, 2007 episode.

Hope it's helpful info for someone!

Caution: There is political discussion, too.
 

TDIinRI

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PLEASE REALISE!!!

Passports are only needed if travelling to Canada from the US by AIR and vice versa!! If traveling by land and/or sea crossings passports will NOT be needed until sometime in 2008!! =) Please refer to the US state department website:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

This has been posted SEVERAL times already. I ask that everyone please note the difference as I have had to clarify it umpteen times this month alone. In planning the Fest, this has sorta become my mantra. =P
 
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TDIinRI

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I had some poutine at le Club Sandwich when I was in Montreal this past visit about 3-4 weeks ago. So, I am not yet having poutine withdrawl, LOL.
 

wny_pat

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TDIinRI said:
PLEASE REALISE!!!

Passports are only needed if travelling to Canada from the US by AIR and vice versa!! If traveling by land and/or sea crossings passports will NOT be needed until sometime in 2008!! =) Please refer to the US state department website:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

This has been posted SEVERAL times already. I ask that everyone please note the difference as I have had to clarify it umpteen times this month alone. In planning the Fest, this has sorta become my mantra. =P
I don't know if Canada cares or not. But you will need one if you want to return to the US (edit - by air for the time being).
 
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TDIinRI

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wny_pat said:
I don't know if Canada cares or not. But you will need one if you want to return to the US.
Did you bother to click the link and read it, sir? :confused: If you did you will note, that you DO NOT need a passport to COME BACK into the US or GO INTO Canada until JANUARY 2008 AT EARLIEST unless you are travelling BY AIR. ONLY AND ONLY IF you are travelling by AIR do you need a passport effective this past Tuesday (23 January, 2007).

I have repeated myself over and over and over and over.:eek::eek::p The media also does not help as they are not reporting the full details whilst oversensationalising. Do I recommend having a passport to make life easier, for sure. BUT, IT IS NOT REQURIED!! You simply need proof of citizenship, i.e., a brith certificate.

I have put a LOT of effort into getting the correct info for our members who will be traveling to Canada from the US. Overcomming misinformation in this respect has been QUITE a challenge.:)

So, I ask, before anyone flipantly posts a comment such as the above, that they PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE verify thrice their info as I have. (Especially if a link from the US Dept. of State with the correct regulation is in the quote box right above their remark!!):D:cool:

This topic is a particular lament of mine. Sorry if I am comming off as a bit bombastic. However, please realise that much forethough has gone into this, as well as, other concerns on the part of the Fest Planning Committee. We want the club's members to be properly informed with all the correct and relevant information so as to facilitate their travel to Canada. Thank you for your consideration!
 
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vikingrob

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I would also be interested in comments about the crossings at Sault Ste. Marie and Port Huron/Sarnia.
 

ymz

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In general, there are relatively few problems crossing the Canada-U.S. border... (certainly in comparison to the Mexico-U.S. border !!!)

However, on a holiday weekend, there can be wait times of over an hour (in either direction!!!) and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to which particular border crossing will be affected (if you have a choice of where to cross)...

Although a passport isn't required for people arriving via surface transport at this time, it does makes life easier!!!!

Yuri.
 

PlaneCrazy

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Hint to those coming up on I87: get off at Rouses Point, cross at the small border crossing from Rouses Point to Noyan, and at Noyan, cut over to Lacolle and get back on 15 North (which is what I87 becomes). Often the small crossing is much less busy than the main one on the interstate, but I'm not sure if it's open in the middle of the night.
 

bikeprof

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I apologize for the interruption of your eating and drinking...

BUT, I have wondered..?
Why are most of the FESTS in the Northeast and SOOO far away :confused:?

We also have beer in the mountainous west :D

Hmmm :(
 

TDIinRI

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PlaneCrazy said:
Hint to those coming up on I87: get off at Rouses Point, cross at the small border crossing from Rouses Point to Noyan, and at Noyan, cut over to Lacolle and get back on 15 North (which is what I87 becomes). Often the small crossing is much less busy than the main one on the interstate, but I'm not sure if it's open in the middle of the night.
The man speaks the truth!! There are many smaller crossings in NY and VT which are many times quicker than a "main" crossing. This one is a good one. Those crossing futher west in MI or Niagra Falls are not as lucky as all the border crossings that way require one to traverse a bridge or tunnel!
 

PlaneCrazy

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I used to work for a company with HQ in Albany NY. I used that crossing all the time, in fact it was easier for me as coming from the Eastern Townships, I'd take 202 to Noyan and cut down at Rouses Point, and vice-versa. Never once had more than a few cars ahead of me.
 

251

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NW IN
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bikeprof said:
BUT, I have wondered..?
Why are most of the FESTS in the Northeast and SOOO far away :confused:?
From what I have seen on these forums concerning TDI Fests since attending my first one in 2002 everybody has great enthusiasm for wanting one in their area. However when push comes to shove there is a lack of this same enthusiasm for a core group of dedicated energetic volunteer organizers that stick it out past the idea/proposal point which is what's required in order for a Fest to happen!

You want one in the west - get together with some TDI buddies and make up a proposal for a 2008 Fest. That is what it takes to have one in the (insert your location here) area. Most Fests are in the east/midwest partly because there are more TDI'ers in those areas who are active in the GTG's and also because there are enough of them that band together to come up with an organized well planned proposal which is what Fred will seriously consider.

Sorry for the slight hijacking of the topic here - like the border crossing passport requirement issue this one keeps cropping up as well. I just wish everyone crossing the border would get a passport - it will speed up your crossing time at customs and ease TDIinRI's workload in clarifying this issue. There is plenty of time to apply for a passport now - don't wait until the last minute. I got one for the 2003 Fest which was in Burlington, Ontario - wasn't required but it has made my many trips to Canada since then go that much smoother!
 

PeterV

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PeterV & Hamsterdiesel have PASSPORTS... OK Fest here we come!
100% attendance for PeterV.
 

Radman

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It goes both ways, any Canadian with a criminal record is not allowed into the US unless granted a Pardon. Sorry you cant make it!
 

Scooby Doo

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canadians who have dwi's (most do) can come to the us, where an american cant go to canada if they have a dwi
 

rotarykid

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Scooby Doo said:
canadians who have dwi's (most do) can come to the us, where an american cant go to canada if they have a dwi
Thats a new one , I have several friends that have DUI/DWIs that regularly go to Canada without issue . And have been doing it for years .
 

GTDI4

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New Requirements for Travelers


Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
The proposed implementation timeline has two phases:
  • Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.
  • As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.
The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Travel Documents for U.S. Citizens Under WHTI
Under the proposed implementation plan, the following documents will be acceptable to fulfill document requirements:
  • U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, and may also use a U.S. passport when traveling via sea and land borders (including ferry crossings).
  • The Passport Card (also referred to as the PASS Card): This limited-use passport in card format is currently under development and will be available for use for travel only via land or sea (including ferries) between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Similar in size to a credit card, it will fit easily into a wallet.
  • DOS and DHS also anticipate that the following documents will continue to be acceptable for their current travel uses under WHTI: SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST, and the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. As proposed, members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders will continue to be exempt from the passport requirement.
Background
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to develop and implement a plan to require all travelers, U.S. citizens and foreign nationals alike, to present a passport or other document, or a combination of documents, that denote identity and citizenship when entering the United States. Congress amended portions of the Act in 2006. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is the Administration’s proposed plan to implement this mandate.
The goal of the Initiative is to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized, secure and reliable documentation which will allow the Department of Homeland Security to quickly, reliably and accurately identify a traveler.
 

rotarykid

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Anyone see this ???









Wash. State to Test 'Enhanced' Licenses

By CURT WOODWARD
Associated Press Writer



SEATTLE | High-security driver's licenses aimed at letting U.S. citizens return from Canada without a passport could be adopted elsewhere if Washington state's experiment works, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said.

The pilot project, signed into law by Gov. Chris Gregoire and formally approved by Chertoff on Friday, calls for Washington to begin issuing new "enhanced" driver's licenses in January.

They will look much like conventional driver's licenses, but will be loaded with proof of citizenship and other information that can be easily scanned at the border.

Radio frequency ID chips and other advanced security features also would make the enhanced licenses less vulnerable to forgery. At about $40, they also would be less expensive than a $97 passport.

Chertoff's endorsement of the pilot project comes as border states prepare for new federal security requirements mandating a passport for travelers - including U.S. citizens - who enter the country by sea or land from elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere.

That requirement is expected to take effect between early 2008 and mid-2009; a similar rule for air travelers already is in force.

Washington state officials are particularly sensitive to the new rule because of the extensive tourist traffic between the state and neighboring British Columbia, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Chertoff praised the enhanced driver's license project, and said he expects other border states to follow Washington's lead.

"I'm quite sure other states that want to use the same technology and the same approach will be welcome to do so," he told a news conference. "The whole idea here is giving a series of alternatives, as long as they meet the same basic standards."

Gregoire, a Democrat, said the enhanced ID's security features also could help combat identity theft.

"It is security for our nation and our state. But it's also security for the individual," she said.

The enhanced licenses will not be mandatory for Washington drivers. Those who want to get the enhanced version will go through an in-person interview, and will have to show proof of citizenship, Gregoire adviser Antonio Ginatta said.

State and federal officials are still working out details about whether particular crimes would prevent a person from getting the enhanced license, Ginatta said.

Along with being less expensive, the enhanced licenses will be available faster than the six-to-eight-week wait for a passport, Gregoire said.

Canada does not have similar passport requirements for U.S. travelers heading north. But Stockwell Day, Canada's public safety minister, said Canadian officials share the security concerns that prompted the new rules.

"Nine-eleven was an event of horrendous proportions that has certainly galvanized us," Day said Friday. "Canadians also died in those towers."
 

bikeprof

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AMEN on that one...

Having a cell phone is bad enough!
Most cell phones(unknown to most persons...) already have a GPS locator chip IN them, and most people have a cell phone.

And then have a chip in the driver license, NO :mad: !

I though this country was the country of the free and ...(what else...?), I forgot since it is NOT available any more :( .

I think I will stop there:rolleyes: .
 
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