Crossing into Canada

[Caveman_Charlie]

I will be camping on the North Shore of Lake Superior in MN from July 18-23 . I will be close enough to Canada that I could drive across.

What requirements do I need to cross ?? And what to cross back ??? I have a Passport (never been used) I have a photo copy of my Covid Card. But, on-line I see all sort of places saying all sorts of things I have to sign up for.

Something about ArriveCAN ? I tried and I can't make that thing work.

Maybe I'm doomed. I only have 2 days to figure it out.

[Cummins12V98]

JaxDad wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
If you have not caved into "The Shot" don't waste your time they will NOT let you in.

“The shot” is required to enter the US also.

BTW, Canadians accounted for some 20 million visits to the US spending about US$20 BILLION a year.

By comparison, Americans spent barely half of that up here.

Guess who would be missed more if they stayed home?

It's plain STUPID no matter who's side you are on.

Not to get a war started but the comments like yours don't go very far in the Palm Springs, CA area. "Some" Canadians have the gee you should be GRATEFUL we come down here. To be honest we survived just fine the last two years the Boarder was closed.

To be CLEAR I have MANY Canadian friends.

[Caveman_Charlie]

JaxDad wrote:

Caveman Charlie wrote:
I tried to get across and the border guard asked me about AriveCan. I told him I couldn't make it work and why. He get a strange look in his face and said "Who could possibly not have a working email ?". He denied my entry and sent me back to the U.S.

In the time it took you to post here you could have a half a dozen free email accounts.

If you choose not to go, that’s your decision but please don’t invent silly excuses for it.

I understand your position. I just wanted to see if I could drive across the border for no good reason on a whim. I found out that you can't.

Like you said my decision.

As for a dozen email address I'm not going to do that. I already have 2. That's plenty. One that worked would be good but, I'm not going to keep making new ones every time some computer bug pops up.

I also only have one Credit Card and I pay the balance off every month.

I have one Charge Card and it comes out of my check book so when I'm forced to use it to buy gas I write the amount and place of purchase in the check register so I know how much I'm spending . (More people should do that)

I've been banking that that same small town bank for 48 years. (My mom started me a savings account there when I was 10 years old, I still have the same account )

I have one insurance company and I have all my insurance though them.

I've been living on the same house for over 30 years.

The point I'm trying to make is that I like to keep things simple. I'm not going to open another email. After the Centurylink one quit working everyone else that is important accepted by gmail address accept for the government of Canada.

I really don't need to go to Canada anyway if I did then I would have to figure something out.

If try again it won't be until next summer when I get way up that way again. (It's a 6 hour drive for me. I haven't been that far from home since the eclipse of the sun in Nebraska a few years go.) I don't get more then 100 miles from home very often.

[Caveman_Charlie]

obgraham wrote:
It does surprise me that the Canadian border official denied your entry. I've found them always courteous and helpful, while still being serious in their job.
Perhaps there was an "attitude conflict" on the part of either you or the official.

No, I was nice and courteous and he was also. He did try to be helpful. Said that a relative or friend with a e-mail address could fill out the ArriveCan thing and something about I could take a screen shot of it ? (Not that I have any idea how to do that) I will admit that when he asked why I wanted to enter I said something like "just to see if I can , I have never been over the border before and I wanted to see what it took to do it" . Again he put a funny look on his face, and after he denied me entry, he said that if I got the ArriveCan thing straightened out that if I wanted to try again and said that I was going to Thunder Bay for supper that would be a valid excuse.

Basically, I found out what I wanted to find out. You just can't cross international borders on a whim. Even the one with Canada, our closest ally.

Maybe I will try again someday if I have a real reason to go. But, you can't just drive across for no good reason.

Oh well, like I said, I didn't really need to go. I just wanted to see if I could and now I know that I can't.

I hope that I'm not on some U.S. and Canadian CIA type file now but, I probably am.

[JaxDad]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
If you have not caved into "The Shot" don't waste your time they will NOT let you in.

“The shot” is required to enter the US also.

BTW, Canadians accounted for some 20 million visits to the US spending about US$20 BILLION a year.

By comparison, Americans spent barely half of that up here.

Guess who would be missed more if they stayed home?

[JaxDad]

Caveman Charlie wrote:
I tried to get across and the border guard asked me about AriveCan. I told him I couldn't make it work and why. He get a strange look in his face and said "Who could possibly not have a working email ?". He denied my entry and sent me back to the U.S.

In the time it took you to post here you could have a half a dozen free email accounts.

If you choose not to go, that’s your decision but please don’t invent silly excuses for it.

[obgraham]

It does surprise me that the Canadian border official denied your entry. I've found them always courteous and helpful, while still being serious in their job.
Perhaps there was an "attitude conflict" on the part of either you or the official.

[ferndaleflyer]

You obviously don't live in the sticks where a computer is useless as is a cell phone. I am right on the edge of one of those dead zones and there are many more in this country today. My cell phone is iffy as is my computer but most of the time they both work. We had a trip planned to Canada before Covid hit and we have pretty much decided to wait till they come around up there or stay home. Its not like we are coming from some third world country--yet.

[valhalla360]

Caveman Charlie wrote:
Hi , I'm the orignal poster. I tried to get across and the border guard asked me about AriveCan. I told him I couldn't make it work and why. He get a strange look in his face and said "Who could possibly not have a working email ?". He denied my entry and sent me back to the U.S.

In any case I'm not going to be leaving the country. It's to hard.

I know at least a dozen people with no internet and no email.

For example: I have a good friend, he has a good job for a rural water provider. His wife works at the health clinic. They own their home, have nice vehicles, have a camper, and a boat. They don't have internet or emails and they don't want it.

Another Example: I know a woman that just retired. She doesn't have any internet either. She says she has never needed it and doesn't want to pay for it. Heck, She just got her first cell phone last year.

None of these people, and many more, can go to Canada. I'm guessing the number of people in the U.S, that can't go is probably in the millions.

Oh Well. They just don't seem to want our money. I had lots of fun on the North Shore of Lake Superior here in MN. I really didn't need to go to Thunder Bay Canada and I guess I never will. Canada's loss.

There may or may not be millions (I'm guessing not) but I'm betting among those who don't have any email, they aren't doing much international travel, so it's really a non-issue.

Of course, there are many sources where you can get a free email address or you could ask the kids to send it thru their email. Most libraries and community centers have computers where you can access the internet for free.

I'm sure back in the 1940's, people said similar things about having a phone...you can certainly send a letter instead of calling. In today's world, email is probably more important than having a phone number.

I don't think Canada is going to be worried about losing a lot of tourism dollars over the issue.

[Cummins12V98]

If you have not caved into "The Shot" don't waste your time they will NOT let you in.

[Caveman_Charlie]

Hi , I'm the orignal poster. I tried to get across and the border guard asked me about AriveCan. I told him I couldn't make it work and why. He get a strange look in his face and said "Who could possibly not have a working email ?". He denied my entry and sent me back to the U.S.

In any case I'm not going to be leaving the country. It's to hard.

I know at least a dozen people with no internet and no email.

For example: I have a good friend, he has a good job for a rural water provider. His wife works at the health clinic. They own their home, have nice vehicles, have a camper, and a boat. They don't have internet or emails and they don't want it.

Another Example: I know a woman that just retired. She doesn't have any internet either. She says she has never needed it and doesn't want to pay for it. Heck, She just got her first cell phone last year.

None of these people, and many more, can go to Canada. I'm guessing the number of people in the U.S, that can't go is probably in the millions.

Oh Well. They just don't seem to want our money. I had lots of fun on the North Shore of Lake Superior here in MN. I really didn't need to go to Thunder Bay Canada and I guess I never will. Canada's loss.

[Caveman_Charlie]

obgraham wrote:
Caveman:
Here is my advice regarding email:
Start over at gmail. Make a new name and account. No dots except before "com".
I have about 5 gmail addresses and it is not a problem. I use one for things I really want, and the others are for the hucksters and morons out there to use.

Yes, that would be for the best. Then I will have to move everything over to the new one. It was best when I had just one and life was easy.

[valhalla360]

Retired JSO wrote:
Coming back to the states, went through US customs in the Calgary airport before we we were allowed to go to the gate. AA from Calgary to Dallas then onto Knoxville without anything this side of the boarder.

Dublin Ireland has the same setup. Once you go thru customs/immigration, you are in a secure area only for US bound travelers. I'm sure there is legal terminology for it but effectively, you are on US soil even though you are at the Calgary airport making it a domestic flight. Once you land, you collect your bags and off you go.

Really a nice setup.

[Retired_JSO]

Flying into Canada from Knoxville last month. Had to have arrive Canada filled out along with our American Airlines app filled out before we could get our boarding passes. Took almost 1 1/2 hours in line to clear customs once in Canada. Coming back to the states, went through US customs in the Calgary airport before we we were allowed to go to the gate. AA from Calgary to Dallas then onto Knoxville without anything this side of the boarder.

[valhalla360]

Crowe wrote:
The border officer would enter your name into his data base and determine if your Arrive Can was proper and you had disclosed a scan of your vaccinations. We just returned from Canada on the 7th.

He never touched his computer. He just looked at the passports and handed them right back. Saw both hands the whole time. I figured he'd do what you said but he didn't. Neither did the agent when we came back across.

He might have a license plate reader or facial recognition software that pulled up your info without him touching his computer.

Or maybe he didn't check it...If you are indifferent about getting across the border, you can try without doing the Arrive Can and see what happens.