In the early 1990s, during the last flare-up over free trade, there
was a fleeting fantasy that closer ties to the U.S. would mean a
dismantling of border controls. There were hopes -- and fears --
that the two northernmost North American countries would turn the
world’s longest undefended frontier into a mere line, just as many
European countries had already done. However, thanks to a bunch of
creeps crashing airplanes into buildings, dreams of a border without
border guards disappeared. Although the Canada-US dividing line is
not yet flanked by soldiers -- except briefly after 9/11 -- it has
become more of a barrier than ever. Even when the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security is not changing its terrorism alert level, the
border is prone to bogging down -- or at least that’s the
perception.
Media coverage
of massive weekend delays may have made motorists wary of delays
travelling from one country to the other, but Michel Proulx of the
Canada Border Services Agency says that in 2003, 93% of trips
through customs took less than 10 minutes. The agency only produces
yearly statistics, so current trends are apparently unavailable. Yet
lineups may become more unpredictable, now that some Canadian
customs employees have been threatening to do their jobs very
meticulously, as a form of protest over inadequate pay. Add to that
the increase in “outbound inspections”, where officials stop
vehicles exiting either country.
Transnational
shippers have been rightfully panicked about the delays, as more
rigorous examination slows trucks full of goods and cars full of
tourists and shoppers. Backlogs have accelerated the demand for new
or expanded crossings, especially in southern Ontario. Between
Windsor and Detroit, which is purported to be the world’s busiest
international crossing, there is a terrible debate over where to
build extra lanes across the border. Locals are fed up with clogged
streets, but various governments and private companies cannot agree
on a link. Over at the Peace Bridge near Buffalo, the international
spat over a replacement for the three-lane span has quieted, put no
final plan has been approved.
Thankfully,
motorists now have some help in determining how long they may have
to wait at official checkpoints. Since 9/11, border wait times
across Canada have been listed on a single website. The address of
the web page is hard to remember -- www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/general/times/menu-e.html
-- so I usually access it through the Ontario Ministry of
Transportation’s home page at www.mto.gov.on.ca. Click on the cute
flags under Traveller’s Information. Another way to get at the
national list of delays is through www.borderlineups.com, a private
site with cameras overlooking several crossings in British Columbia.
Suppose you
don’t have access to the web via computer, or one of those
newfangled “wireless” communication devices? You can call customs at
1-800-461-9999, and try to get connected with your local border
outpost, but it’s probably not worth the hassle. For those
travelling in the three main border areas, namely the Niagara River,
Windsor and south of Vancouver, you have a few ways to cross over --
how to choose the fastest one? Between western New York and Ontario,
call the Niagara bridges hotline, 1-800-715-6722.
Not willing to
write down the numbers in your passport, or don’t have a cell phone?
Well, you could pull over at a truck stop -- truckers headed to the
border have to know what’s happening, and they may even tell you.
The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel encourages motorists to tune into the AM
radio station 760 WJR. None of the officials I contacted along the
Niagara Frontier could suggest the best radio stations for
up-to-date traffic reports. If you have a favourite, contact me at
edrass@nationalpost.com.
Ed Drass,
National Post