Coutts border crossing busy as Canada and U.S. restrict non-essential travel

Long lineups at the U.S.-Canada border crossing at Coutts, Alta., during the pandemic in 2020. The U.S. is reopening the border to non-essential travel in early November

Lethbridge, Alta. — Canada and the United States are taking drastic measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19, announcing the border will be closed to all non-essential travel.

Details are still being worked out, but the Canadian government says the restrictions will take place "within hours, or days."

But many travellers are already heading home.

"It was like, the writing's on the wall, it’s time to go," said Josh Costello.

The Newfoundlander spent the night at a Coutts hotel, after making the 14-hour drive from Las Vegas.

"I made the decision to go home, and then my friends and family started calling me," he said.

Costello said he was originally planning to drive back to Newfoundland through the United States, but when he heard about the latest travel restrictions, he headed north to the closest international border crossing, at Coutts-Sweet Grass.

The Canadian Border Services Agency is asking travellers returning to Canada to isolate themselves for 14 days upon re-entry. Commercial shipments, trade and commerce will not be affected.

That came as welcome news for Ed Flood. The Crossfield truck driver is hauling a shipment of pipe to Colorado.

"It’s my livelihood," he said. "Put it this way, if they shut it down for a week, people will be panicking. No food. No products."

Toronto truck driver Rasa Kanathasan stopped briefly at the border, before continuing on to Texas.

"All the time, we are carrying food items, produce," Kanathasan said.

Kanathasan started in Toronto and has already made stops in Calgary and Lethbridge, where he dropped off over 18,000 kilograms of canned soup at the local Costco store.

"Transportation is important. They need it," he said he also needs the work to support his wife and four children back home.

Lori Minor, a clerk at Coutts Duty Free, said commercial traffic has been steady.

"We need them going back and forth, because otherwise we are going to have empty grocery stores."

She said they’ve also noticed "extreme lineups" of Canadian snowbirds, who have been returning to Canada in recent days.

CBSA officials said they don’t have any numbers at this point, but have issued a news release advising travellers of the possibility for higher-than-usual traffic volumes over the next several weeks.

According to the statement, Canadians returning due to COVID-19 advisories, along with the seasonal return of Canadian snowbirds, may contribute to lineups at the border.

To help minimize delays, travellers returning to Canada are encouraged to:

People crossing the border are urged to tell a CBSA officer if they have a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.

The federal government said the closure to non-essential travel will remain in effect for an indefinite period.

Canadians who cross the border every day to do essential work will not be affected. International students, workers on visas and temporary foreign workers will also be able to enter Canada, with the expectation that they follow the guidelines to self-isolate for 14 days.