Breaking these Canadian rules on travel could cost you up to $750,000, officials say

The U.S.-Canadian border has been shut down to nonessential travelers to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but what if you need to drive to Alaska?

The Canada Border Services Agency is becoming stricter about what Americans can and can’t do as they travel through Canada from the continental U.S. to Alaska. Travelers will see new restrictions starting Friday.

“The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is announcing that as of July 31, 2020, at 12:01 am PDT stricter rules and additional entry conditions will be imposed on travellers transiting through Canada to Alaska for a non-discretionary purpose,” the Canada Border Services Agency said in a Thursday news release. “These measures are put in place to further reduce the risk of introduction of COVID-19 cases and to minimize the amount of time that in-transit travellers are in Canada.”

Any travelers must enter Canada through one of five ports of entry: Abbotsford-Huntingdon (British Columbia), Coutts (Alberta), Kingsgate (British Columbia), North Portal (Saskatchewan) or Osoyoos (British Columbia), the agency said.

Visitors can stay for “a reasonable period” to complete the trip, but they must take the “most direct route” between ports of entry and exit. Travelers cannot visit national parks or do any tourist activities, officials said.

They must also report their exit from Canada to officials at the nearest point of entry, according to the agency. Travelers also will be required to hang a tag to their rear-view mirror while they are driving through Canada, which includes the date they must leave the country.

“These measures also apply to foreign nationals transiting to the U.S. through Canada from Alaska,” the Canada Border Services Agency said. “However, entry into Canada from Alaska on the northern border is not limited to designated POEs. Additional measures might be imposed at time of entry by a border services officer.”

It is also a good idea to have documentation on why travel in Canada is necessary, the agency said.

The U.S.-Canada border has been shut down to nonessential travel since March 21, according to the agency. Since March 31, travelers have needed to provide their contact information to a border service officer when seeking entry.

Not following the border restrictions is an “offence under the Quarantine Act,” and violators could be charged a fine of up to $750,000 or spend six months in prison, the agency said.

“If a traveller causes a risk of imminent death or serious bodily harm to another person while willfully or recklessly contravening this act or the regulations, they could be liable for up to $1,000,000 in fines, and/or imprisonment of up to 3 years,” officials said.

This story was originally published July 30, 2020 at 8:03 PM with the headline "Breaking these Canadian rules on travel could cost you up to $750,000, officials say."