Travel to Canada rebounds to levels not seen since pre-pandemic
One million people entered Canada last week, the highest number since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Canada Border Services Agency released entry data for April 11 to 17 on Friday, saying the country hasn’t processed this many people at the border since 2019.
Here’s how many people entered Canada for the equivalent weeks for the previous three years:
- 2019: 1.8 million
- 2020: 127,000
- 2021: 214,000
- 2022: 1 million
The numbers capture both visitors to Canada and Canadians returning from abroad as the pandemic’s stifling of travel ends.
As more people come through the border, they’re facing longer waits than pre-pandemic while border guards manage new entry requirements — including checking vaccination status.
On Easter weekend, drivers in Vancouver faced long waits to cross over to Washington State.
Waits at Peace Arch Border/DriveBC
CBSA advises travellers to make sure they’ve uploaded relevant documents to the ArriveCAN app to make their entry to Canada as smooth as possible.
“The CBSA invests significant effort annually to plan and prepare for various peak periods. Analysis of projected trends is used to inform resource planning and ensure alignment to service needs,” the border agency said.
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