'They're very anxious to return': Long delays at border crossing as Americans flock to Canada

WINNIPEG -

Pent-up demand for Canadian soil by Americans has led to long delays at one border crossing.

At the International Falls, MN, border crossing into Fort Frances, Ont., more than 200 cars were lined up to enter Canada Monday around 7:30 a.m.

Tricia Heibel, president of the International Falls Chamber of Commerce, said she spoke to a couple of travellers who were waiting in line since 3:15 a.m. She was told processing times were about half an hour per vehicle. According to a government website, border wait times was about seven hours.

“I had my camera phone ready to go on my way into work and thought well let’s see what this looks like in the daylight and how far it built overnight, and started this morning, and it did not disappoint,” said Heibel.

Heibel’s office overlooks the lineup, and said it has not gotten any smaller. In fact, she said she went outside a few hours later and found, if anything, it had grown.

As of midnight Sunday, nonessential U.S. travellers who have had a full course of a Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccines are allowed to cross the border. To be eligible travellers must live in the U.S., have allowed at least 14 days to pass since their last dose and show proof of a negative COVID-19 test for that's no more than three days old.

“I don’t really know how Canada receives this. I hope that you feel the love that I believe people are coming over with. They’re very anxious to return,” said Heibel. “This is beyond a lineup of people just wanting to connect with loved ones that they’ve separated from.”

Heibel said vehicle licence plates were not limited to local Minnesotans, but spanned the country. Some were towing boats, quads and RVs. Others were simply filled with people.

She said travel reasons varied from visiting family and friends to returning to cottages and summer vacations.

While lineups at the border are not uncommon, Heibel said the length of Monday’s lineup was out of the ordinary.

“As we’re entering this quote-unquote new normal I guess we’ll have to see how this lineup and the traffic into Canada continues throughout the week and the couple of weeks ahead.”

It was a different story at the border at Emerson, south of Winnipeg. According to the federal government’s website the wait time there was only 15 minutes.

Cars line up at to enter Canada at the Emerson border crossing August 9 (Jamie Dowsett, CTV News)

Jodi Kozam is one of the many travellers who took advantage of the loosened border restrictions at the Emerson crossing on Monday. She said the crossing was easy. She said she had to show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test and personal information on the ArriveCAN app.

“It was just to be with my family instead of just on FaceTime and texting. Nothing beats face-to-face,” said Kozam.

Canadian travellers still are not allowed to enter the U.S. for nonessential reasons at land crossings, although the White House did say last week that it is exploring options for visitors when restrictions are eased.

“Being on the southern side of the border, we are really hoping President Biden opens up the border for non-essential Canadian travellers and that we really get that full return and circle of people crossing between our communities and our countries soon,” said Heibel.

                With files from the Canadian Press