Canada US border closure

Canada-U.S. border closure to be extended yet again

The Canada-U.S. border closure is being extended once again, so if you've been biding your time making getaway plans for when it finally opens up again, you'll want to put them on hold.

The current intercountry ban was scheduled to be up in just five days, but is now slated to last until at least November or until the pandemic is "under control," senior officials have told CTV News.

The federal governments have kept the border locked down to everything but essential travel for the past six months.

Though the rules have seemed to be somewhat lax for Canadians flying into the U.S., they remain strict for Americans coming into Canada, or anyone trying to cross the divide in either direction by land.

But some desperate travelers from the U.S. have taken advantage of a loophole by saying they're coming through Canada to get to Alaska — which a number of them have faced steep fines for.

Experts predict that, given the fact that the U.S. has had the worst handling of the pandemic out of any country in the world, the moratorium on non-essential travel between the two countries could last until next summer to ensure the safety of Canadians.

The fact that cases here are now spiking once more and a second wave is on the horizon as we enter flu season doesn't help.

Aside from granting family members of Canadians citizens or permanent residents the ability to come into the country back in June, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has held fast to the extended closure, despite Trump hinting early on that things would open up again.

Unrelated tensions between the two countries over a potential aluminum tarriff just dissipated this week, while the impacts of the wildfires (one of which was inadvertently ignited by a gender reveal party) in California unfortunately know no borders.

More than 6.6 million Americans have been diagnosed with the communicable disease over the course of the health crisis, nearly 200,000 of which have died.

Lead photo by

@daveynin


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

People spotting Toronto's fancy Roombas for cutting grass in parks are enthralled

Ontario just got hit with an earthquake and officials blame this mine

TTC workers are gearing up to go on strike and here's what you need to know

Here are the highest and lowest paying gig jobs at the City of Toronto right now

Yonge-Dundas Square renaming to Sankofa Square is about to become more official

A 7-kilometre stretch of the TTC subway will be closed for this entire weekend

Years of construction on major Toronto street set to extend even longer with new project

Toronto just got a beautiful new streetscape but oops it's already being torn up