Canadian border sees over 1 million travellers in a week, highest since pandemic

With pandemic-era travel restrictions gradually easing up, the country is seeing a lot more travel at the border.

In a recent statement, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says Canada welcomed more than one million travellers at the border last week (April 11 to 17) — the highest since the start of the pandemic two years ago.

For comparison, here’s what the week of the Easter long weekend looked like in the past few years:

• 2019, April 15 to 21: 1,875,542 travellers
• 2020, April 6 to 12: 126,759 travellers
• 2021, March 29 to April 4: 214,055 travellers
• 2022, April 11 to 17: 1,053,523 travellers

“This spring and summer, travellers are returning to a border that is managed differently with new requirements, which can mean delays during peak periods,” says the CBSA.

The CBSA says it’s working to mitigate long border wait times, but says there are things travellers can do to make the process easier: Come prepared with your passport (or other acceptable identification) and complete the mandatory ArriveCAN submission — including COVID-19 vaccination information — within 72 hours before arriving at the border.

Travellers are also advised to plan ahead and check border wait times, and reconsider crossing during peak travel times like weekend evenings.

In Mississauga, a number of travel restrictions were loosened at Pearson Airport in February of this year, resulting in the airport having one of its busiest travel days on the Friday before March Break.

Photo courtesy of The Canadian Press