Heading South

The big migration over the next few weeks will be the annual Snowbird escape from Canada to enjoy the warmth and friendship of a relatively narrow strip of warm, sunny land in southern USA. Regardless of what many USA citizens think, all the cold weather is not relegated to north of the Canadian border. Those leaving in mid-winter will often drive through a couple days of weather that can be worse than the Canadian winter. If you don't believe this, check with residents of Minnesota or Wisconsin whose deep freeze temperatures are not to be envied. Two years ago we drove in snow from Ontario through Michigan, and Indiana, freezing rain near St. Louis, and a snowstorm in Oklahoma that necessitated an early stop at a truck stop until the next day. Snow continued deep into New Mexico.

But the big chill may be at the border. The 'two friendly nations with the longest undefended border' myth has burst. Be prepared for more questions, and carry lots of proof of whom you are.

It took me several days to pull this material together, and it's still up to you to find out for yourself what the rules are when entering the USA. Hopefully this will help. I've added a few internet links that you can try.

When you reach the border, be honest, smile, and grit your teeth at the questions that appear to be really stupid. Don't let them rile you. They are always right. Carry ID with your picture, and even though Canadians don't need to have a passport with them, carry it. You may be asked for it.

Food is likely to be the biggest problem for most RVers. It's difficult to get a definitive answer from anyone. This statement is from the US Customs Website. "Fresh meat is generally prohibited from most countries". What did it tell you? Generally, and most are vague words used by politicians to avoid a direct answer. I phoned the US Customs office for a simple list stating what Snowbirds can and can't bring. They don't have one it seemed, and I had to go over 'what do you want to bring?' item by item.

There seemed to be animosity over the fact that Canadians can take in several weeks worth of food, but US citizens can only bring a day's worth north. A valid complaint, if true!

You cannot take any beef, in any shape or form - no canned meatballs, frozen beef - no beef at all! You can take in frozen venison 'if you can prove you shot it'. But, he assured me, there would be no way I could prove it. The next time I phoned, a different man said "take your hunting permit." So venison, YES, well… MAYBE! It depends on the person who asks you.

Many Canadians like to take as much food as they can pack in. After all, most of our canned food, cookies etc., are cheaper in Canada when the exchange rate is factored in. Fruits and vegetables grown in Canada are admissible if labeled as grown in Canada, so your garden vegetables are placed in an 'iffy' category because they are not labeled, but this second fellow didn't sound bothered by garden vegetables at all. At any rate, all fruits and vegetables MUST be declared. Citrus and Tropical fruits are not permitted.

Milk and butter, bakery items, candy and cured cheese are ok, as are canned goods, except for anything that might have beef in them. Eggs, maybe, but might hit the rejected list soon.

Chicken is ok, as is pork. Weiners and sausage might have beef, so probably NO. Fish and scallops caused no problems. Any dishes with sauces that might contain beef, NO.

Apples, grapes, and other fruits, are ok as long as they are not citrus fruits.

So most canned goods seem ok, as long as there is no possibility of beef being in them.

Hopefully this has helped, but check for yourself.

My thanks to Central Ontario CAA, and AAA (USA) for cutting through all the searching on the official website and providing the following link. If clicking on this link does not work, copy and paste it into your URRL address line.

http://help.customs.gov/cgi-bin/customs.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_
sid=7VPauyUg&p_lva=&p_faqid=82&p_created=1043364936&
p_ sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9NDk2JnBfcGFnZT0x
&p _li=

Other links:
www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca
http://www.cbp.gov/
http://www.gonorthwest.com/Visitor/planning/border/border.htm
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/consular_home-en.asp

The following covers a great deal of information in an easy to read form:
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/pubs/usa_bound-en.asp