Thanksgiving travel to Canada: Here’s how the CBSA prepares for the long weekend rush

The Windsor-Detroit border crossing. (Source: Detroit-Windsor Tunnel)

If you’re heading across the border this Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has some tips for you.

The CBSA plans and prepares for long weekends and other peak travel periods. They monitor traveller volumes and prioritize efficient processing of travellers at land ports of entry and at international airports, reads a news release issued Tuesday.

If you encounter wait times at the border, CBSA officials say it is likely because they are working behind the scenes to conduct examinations, seize drugs, firearms or stolen vehicles, or prevent high-risk individuals from entering Canada.

Here are some CBSA travel recommendations:

• Have your travel documents readily available to present to an officer. This will speed up processing times at the border.
• Be prepared to declare. Declare everything you have with you upon entry into Canada. If arriving by land, you are responsible for everything inside your vehicle.
• Flying into Canada? Use Advance Declaration and be able to make your customs and immigration declaration up to 72 hours in advance of your arrival into Canada (at participating airports.)
• Driving into Canada? Check border wait times to plan your route.
• When travelling with children who are not your own or for whom you don’t have full legal custody, they recommend you have a consent letter from the parent or legal guardian authorizing you to travel with the child. They are always watching for missing children, and in the absence of the letter, officers may ask additional questions.
• Bringing fireworks into Canada? Consult Importing, exporting and transporting fireworks to ensure that the ones you are bringing in are authorized.
• Know before you go: review the restricted and prohibited goods to avoid the possibility of penalties, including fines, seizure or prosecution. Make sure you have the information you need before attempting to bring items into Canada.
• Leave behind: prohibited firearms and weapons, narcotics, and cannabis.

Not sure? Ask a CBSA officer. The CBSA says the best way to save time is to be open and honest with the border services officer. If you are not sure about what to declare, don’t hesitate to ask, the CBSA adds.

More information is available on the CBSA website or at 1-800-461-9999.