Hello all,
I am planning a trip to the Canadian 1000 islands in late May/early June. I am thinking launching from the marina on Wellsley island and paddle camping for two nights in the canadian park. Will I need to bring anything other than my passport for this trip? Should I plan on being stopped at all?
Thanks
Um, I believe the borders are still officially closed due to covid. And they may be taking it pretty seriously right now, as Ontario is under a lock down due to lots of cases.
Yes, the border remains closed and the Canadians are taking that very seriously. The buzz is that the border is very unlikely to reopen even by the end of Summer.
Ah, I didn’t even think about that. Thank you
This just came across the Coast Guard blog:
The tribal talk is I believe on tribal lands in the US, so not relevant to your question. But the part on Canada is relevant.
Canada hasn’t been open to any US visitors for like a year, and right now Ontario is on a lockdown so strict that cops stop random cars to ticket if the trip is not truly essential. Also you don’t want to drive thru Michigan. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html#map
Even before the pandemic closing. if you cross from the US to any point of land in Canada, you must first check in at a port of entry such as at Gananoque, Ontario, and then do the opposite when returning to the US.
Immigration officials take border crossing very seriously and the fines are very steep with the possibility of arrest.
In a simpler time …
I paddled around L Superior 4 times.
The 1st time, in 1989, when paddling into Canada from Minnesota, I paddled out of my way (an extra 10 miles) up the Pigeon River to check in with customs.
As I recall, it was a very low priority event, Customs were more interested in the car traffic.
The next 3 trips around (90,91,92), I just bypassed the ‘detour’ without any consequences.
Saw on the news last night that the Canadian Border closing was extended until the end of May. The have apparently had a new Covid outbreak up there.
If you’re in the States, you should know that travel to Canada from the US is prohibited right now and for the foreseeable future. $750,000.00 fine, 6 months jail and a permanent ban from the country if you’re caught. Unless you’re already in Canada, I wouldn’t try.
Thank you all, for some reason I didn’t even think about Covid restrictions. I will be going elsewhere.
As above, Canada remains off limits and will be for long time. My neighbor, who is a naturalized US citizen and whose mom lives in Canada, spent a week recently trying to see if a stay on either side in the Thousand Islands would allow them to meet. Was a no go.
I also know people who recently booked time in Yellowstone in May, one of whom is a travel agent. Major US parks are filling up early and often. If you are considering one of them, I suggest you get any reservations needed ASAP.
Just wondering, during their lockdown, how is it going to work for citizens of Canada who need to return home after their winter stay (here), in Florida? Their are also US restrictions, I’ve been told, for the length of their Florida winter stay.
Dang! Until reading all these comments, I had no idea Covid was still such a big deal up in Canada. Our government mandated restictions have been lifted in TX and now the mask/occupancy rules vary from place to place depending on the operator/owner.
They’ll have to quarantine, even if they’ve been fully vaccinated, per:
Crossing the border or transiting through Canada – Travel restrictions in Canada – Travel.gc.ca
It is involved. Not only do Canadian residents returning to Canada need to quarantine for 14 days even if they have been vaccinated, they need to be tested for covid-19 twice. The first test is on arrival in Canada. Until this initial test result returns they must stay in a pre-booked, government-approved hotel until the initial test result comes back which is expensive and can take several days.
If the initial test result is negative they still need to be tested again at 10 days. Some individuals are given a test kit and self test themselves. Others may be required to go to a pharmacy to be tested. Even if the day 10 test comes back negative, they must still complete the 14 day self-quarantine period.
If the day 10 test returns positive, they must quarantine for an additional 14 days starting the day of the day 10 test. Penalties for non-compliance are severe.
The RV snowbirds generally didn’t come this year. They could fly in/out with two week quarantine. Some leave the RV in Florida storage or have "park modeled it. It made RV reservations easier.
My Canadian wife wants to go home badly to see her family. As a Canadian citizen (she has dual nationality with the USA) she can enter the country but would have to quarantine for 2 weeks when she gets there. I have dual GB/USA nationality so I’m not allowed in at all. 
Canadian restrictions are not wildly different from New Zealand’s. For the remainder of 2021 most likely that the only practical travel corridors that will be opened will be between specific countries within the Commonwealth, as NZ and Australia just did.
Note that the Alberta Province is being particularly challenged by anti-mask and anti-vax folks, more so than some of their other provinces. Which is unfortunate because it contains some fabulous mountain and WW resources.
In most countries that are holding to conservative arrangements, people with dual citizenship are still treated differently than those with single citizenship of that country. I know of a US born citizen who acquired a dual citizenship via Lithuania thru his parents when he was young. He and his US born wife, who long ago acquired a 6 month resident citizenship w Lithuania as well, have been half year residents of Lithuania for decades. When he wasn’t in the French Alps - he is a heavy duty skier.
They are traveling around the US at the moment, on a six month hiatus from being able to get back to their place in Lithuania. Because they are dual citizenships, they can’t get back in as soon as the others.
Most US states remain looser than a lot of foreign countries. Which is frankly why it will be a while before a lot of them will let US citizens back in. France just announced vaxxed can enter and that will likely be repeated for others as part of re-opening.
Canadian here. No point even trying. Canadians abroad can come home whenever they like but then need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Most here don’t even want inter-provincial travel (which is currently restricted to essential travel only) let alone international and there has been a lot of license plate shaming going on.