Hello all,
I wanted to start a separate thread on this topic rather than keep adding to the long one for easier reference.
As most of us know, the situation with border crossing has been difficult and restrictions can change, so please refer to the government site for the most up to date rules: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid
I wanted to share our experience with having my USC husband come visit via land border.
My husband had recovered from COVID in January, so he has proof of a positive test that falls within the 14-90 day range. On March 4, he drove up here via the Peace Bridge and it also happened to be the day they implemented land border testing at that port.
The guard was polite, but also admitted he was new and didn't really know the rules for exemptions from testing, so while he did allow my husband to enter, he still handed him two test kits and directed him to a parking area to wait in the car for someone from Public Health to come speak with him. He waited...1.5 later he finally flagged down another border guard and asked what's going on and they said just to stay put and they knew he was there.
Finally, someone got to him after 2 hours of waiting in a dead parking lot and went through his quarantine plan. They accepted his previous test results and then took back the test kits, as they wouldn't be necessary this time, and then they actually phoned me to confirm I understood the risks of having him stay with me and ensure that I gave my consent. Once that was done, they let him go.
So if you're crossing by land right now, be aware that it's a bureaucratic, unorganized mess and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Ensure that you give yourself more than adequate time and get that pee break out of the way before you reach the border. You may be there a while.
That said, he's here now and may you all be able to travel to be with your families smoothly and safely.