Borders are going to become harder to cross soon

[VernM]

I'm fresh back from a 3000 mile trip that included time in Ontario. It took three times as long to get back in the country via the Sarnia/Port Huron route than it did going the other way. However that amounted to only five minutes at the most. Don't worry. Go see Canada! And shop the Walmart Super Center at Sarnia if you are in to getting lost among its miles and miles of isles and isles.

Stayed at the Pinery Provincial Park, incidentally. In early May, almost had the place to myself. And it has 2000 or so campsites along the Lake Huron waters about 50 Km north of Sarnia via Route 7.

[Mike]

Hi Vern,
I read your "TV Airwaves" post before this one. I see you didn't do too badly
in our province.
I've boondocked in the Sarnia Walmart on my way over and back from the US.
It was just too convenient to pass up, and it is pretty sprawling and right on the way
to the bridge.
I haven't stayed at The Pinery since the early 70s when we used to go up
for long weekends. Good to know you weren't crowded out up there. I
guess the weather wasn't too bad. Bit chilly overnight?

Take care,
Mike.

[VernM]

Mike writes; "...I've boondocked in the Sarnia Walmart on my way over and back from the US.
It was just too convenient to pass up, and it is pretty sprawling and right on the way
to the bridge.

Did 'ja note that the Walmart is just off Modeland Road in Sarnia. Compare with my last name.Not many of us get such a welcome North of the border.

[Mike]

I didn't know that, but I remember now you mentioned the connection a couple
of months ago. Welcomed to Canada by name, eh!!!
Still, it's a great place to stop (for us) before we crossed first time out last October
as we left late in the evening, and we stopped there late at night on the way back
for the same reason. Seemed safe and quiet and there were one or two other tenants
in the lot both times.

[Mike]

Another of my follow ups from real life experience.
We went for our interviews 4 weeks ago now, and still are waiting for our EDLs.
We might have got ours sooner, as we had booked interviews back in May, only
to discover that my wife needed a certified copy of her marriage certificate from
her first marriage to "connect" her birth surname to the current ever day surname
which happens to be her married surname from that marriage. We are common law,
btw. So, we had to reschedule because it took almost an extra 3 weeks to get the missing
document. Passports have no such requirement.
So, to those who suggested a passport a long time ago, I should have listened to you.

dutchduo1990, I never should have doubted you, and now I'm still waiting for documents
to let us back across the border to the US. I could have had passports weeks ago, if we
had simply gone ahead and spent the money.
Apologies, and you were right on, passports are much easier to get.

Live and learn, I guess.

[Mike]

Well, our EDLs arrived yesterday, July 22, after a 5 and 1/2 week wait from the
date of our interviews. I doubt this is typical now, as we did get interviewed
fairly early on, and I've since been told they could take up to 8 weeks to deliver.
I've sent a couple of notes, since my last post on this subject, to the Minister
of Transport and to the new Leader of the Opposition who hails from Niagara,
complaining about the delays and, as expected, got nothing back by way of
explanation or apology.

So, if you're Canadian from Ontario, planning to travel soon in the US,
I'd recommend a passport.

[VernM]

If Canada is worried about your not coming back, Mike, I'll be happy to volunteer to replace you up there for any durattion you like.

[Mike]

I may take you up on that sometime Vern, if I get to take your place down south for an equal amount of time.
Just be sure you bring some extra cash to pay for the 13% HST the Ontario Liberal Party is going to implement
next year to replace the 5% GST (Federal Tax) or the 8% PST (Provincial Tax) we pay on some stuff up here.
Some stuff is subject to both already. I think they just wanted to make sure they're not missing anything.
What's the current State sales tax in Arkansas?
I figure we'll save a lot of money down there.

[VernM]

We're not allowed to give out that information by law, Mike. The folks down in Small Pebble fear it'd just bring an influx of illegal aliens bigger than the one that has hit us over the past 20 years by folks from "outside" who then start wanting planning and zoning, paved roads, lights all over the place and stuff like that..

[Mike]

I understand.
I live in small town Ontario (actually in the Niagara wine region) and we have our share
of "whiners" looking for nothing more than to bring us into the 19th century as well.
Kinda' sad, really.

[Davydd]

What brings Canadians to Minnesota?

There is no sales tax on clothing and grocery food.

[Mike]

Hi Davydd,
That's going to be very true come next year when the HST is implemented.
Even moreso if our Canuck loonie gets closer to parity with Uncle Sam's greenbacks.
I'm sure they'll react to the sudden loss in revenues by tightening the rules regarding,
and reducing the amount of stuff we can bring back for free.

My wife and I were just thinking about any big box items we might need in
the future, and to get moving and try buy them now.

[Mike]

On our recent tour of the northeast, we finally got to use our EDLs to cross from St. Stephen,
New Brunswick into Calais, Maine. When we got to the booth, the US CBP guard exclaimed,
"hey, they work!!" as if it woke up his little booth computer. Our van was physically searched,
and while one of the other guards opened doors in the back of the van, I asked the booth guy
why he seemed so surprised. He said we were the first through their checkpoint with the RFID
chipped driver's licenses. The other guys actually came over to see what was on their screen
while we were being searched. I should have asked if we could have a look at the display, but
we were hungry and kinda looking for a place (McD's) to stop for breakfast.

So, they work!!!