Northern border crossings

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Tom

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Doug Jardine's advice in this message reminds me that we don't have a comprehensive list of border crossings in our forum library. Which crossings have you used? Please include location and directions and comment on the relative size of the crossing and whether it's a busy or quiet one.

TIA
 
When crossing from New Brunswick into Maine we used the Woodstock Road crossing between Woodstock, NB and Houlton, ME. This is a small crossing and was very quiet when we crossed on July 2, a time when you'd expect lots of folks heading home for the July 4 celebration.

Coming into the U.S. take PH5 from Woodstock, NB to the border. Going into Canada, take I-95 east.
 
At Niagara Falls is the Rainbow Bridge crossing. Although this crossing handles 20% of the non-commercial traffic crossing between the U.S. and Canada, it was quiet on the two occasions we crossed.
 
Tom said:
When crossing from New Brunswick into Maine we used the Woodstock Road crossing between Woodstock, NB and Houlton, ME. This is a small crossing and was very quiet when we crossed on July 2, a time when you'd expect lots of folks heading home for the July 4 celebration.

Coming into the U.S. take PH5 from Woodstock, NB to the border. Going into Canada, take I-95 east.

Tom:

Jackman Maine going into Quebec is also very quiet.
 
We've used the Peace Bridge Crossing (I-5 to Surrey, BC), which is a huge crossover and very busy all the time, and the  crossing between Cardston, AB  (Alberta Hwy 2) and Babb (Glacier Nat'l Park) on Hwy 89 in MT., which is a small one and and not at all busy in late September .
 
Canadian border crossings

BC/WA hywy 97 the Okanagon. small, quiet about 2003
AB/MT I-15 Sweetgrass large, fast 2002.05
NB/ME hywy 1 Calais small quiet about 2000
YK/AK Chicken very quiet 2002.06.01
YK/AK the alcan hywy homeward bound. quick and easy. 2002.08.01
YK/AK Haines Junction to Haines. quiet, easy 2002.08.03
YK/AK Skagway to Whitehorse, quick and easy...only place I got hassled for carrying 3 (one over limit) bottles of wine! 2002.08.10
BC/AK Hyder/Stewart no check going into Hyder, easy, quiet returning to BC 2002.08.
BC/WA the truck crossing a few milles east of the peace arch main crossing. on a Sat eve it was quick and easy 2002.08
BC/WA ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria. took a bit longer as they put me at the end of the line. No quibles about the 2 CASES of wine aboard!
 
When crossing into Quebec and Ontario, the usual crossings on the major highways are generally very very busy.? One of the busiest is Champlain NY I-87 toward Montreal? on Rte 15 is extremely busy.

However there are smaller crossings east and west of Champlain that are usually worth the detour of about 10 miles and will have considerably less traffic.  My preference is the Lacolle, Quebec crossing about five miles east of the Champlain/Blackpool crossing

The crossing at the top of I-81 north of Syracuse NY across the Thousand Islands Bridge can be avoided by taking a detour to Ogdensburgh NY where the traffic is very light.? ?This detour would be OK if travelling East to Ottawa, Montreal etc.? but would not be worthwhile if travelling West on $)! to Toronto for example.

 
Thanks Steve. I'll get that info added to the file.
 
One cannot assume that crossing at a smaller border crossing where there is less traffic will ensure an easier passage.  These are often used for training because there is less traffic, so you may be subjected to greater scrutiny, possibly including a full search of your vehicle if they happen to be training a new Customs Officer.
 
Good point Steve. I hadn't considered that, although personally I'd take greater scrutiny over much longer lines.
 
The only time anyone has been in our RV was at Sumas, WA (a small crossing east of Blaine).

No line, pulled up to the US side and was immediately sent over to the parking area and subjected to 3 Food Gestapo (USDA) tromping through the m/h looking for illicit food products.

They didn't find any because it was the week we traded for the Tradewinds and used it to take friends up to see Vancouver BC for the weekend so the shelves were bare. ;D ;D
 
Anyone care to guess how many US/Canadian border crossings there are? ;D
 
Thanks Don. Maybe we should let the Canadian government know they're missing some crossings.
 
The page listing 22 crossings are just those that the Canadian Government publishes the wait times for.

 
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