by: lisa cordasco
pent-up demand by american travellers caused a spike in land border crossings into b.c. after non-essential travel restrictions were lifted last month, but the numbers are only a fraction of border crossings into canada from the united states before the pandemic began.
statistics from the canada border services agency show that from aug. 9 to 15, the first full week after u.s. citizens were permitted to travel into canada, 32,296 foreign nationals entered b.c. from the u.s. by land. that’s almost triple the previous week, when only essential travel was allowed and 12,038 foreign nationals crossed into b.c. at land borders from the u.s.
however, traveller numbers dropped by 10 per cent to 28,594 at b.c. land crossings during the week of aug. 16 to 22, which is the most recent date of published statistics.
it’s yet to be seen if that number will continue to trend downward as the u.s. state department advised its citizens this week to “reconsider travel” to canada due to “a high level of covid-19” north of the border.
the numbers provided by the cbsa do not break down how many foreign nationals were u.s. citizens; howeve,r only american travellers are
currently
permitted into canada for non-essential reasons.