Dreaming of Alaska Road Trip

The Canadian tourism industry may be on the verge of collapse, but that's not enough to prompt the Government of Canada to open the border to visitors from the U.S. anytime soon.  And, can Canada really afford to lose its tourism industry?   Prior records account for it bringing in $105 billion a year in annual receipts.

Frustration continues to build on both sides of the border in reaction to revised Canadian travel rules. Set to take effect in early July, the new rules will end a long quarantine requirement for returning Canadians and others with a longstanding right to enter the country, but will not open the nation's land borders to American tourists.

And, as with all announcements on reopening the border, it lacks an exact date and specific details.

Canada has extended its border restriction with the United States until at least July 21.

According to Canada’s public safety minister, the action was coordinated with the United States, which has now opened up its economy after the lengthy shutdown in 2020 and early 2021, due to the Covid-19 virus pandemic. The Canadians shut their border to all but the most essential traffic in March of 2020.

“As we have said, the government is planning measures for fully vaccinated Canadians, Permanent Residents, and others who are currently permitted to enter Canada and will provide further details on Monday, June 21,” wrote Bill Blair, inister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

According to the Canadian government’s website on the border closure, “Habitual residents of Alaska who drive through Yukon to get to another part of Alaska or return to their place of residence are exempt from pre-entry and arrival testing. You must remain in your vehicle while passing through Canada.” This requirement makes it exceedingly difficult to get fuel or scrape bugs off the windshield.

Technically, however, that would mean people driving across from the Alcan–Beaver Creek Border Crossing to Haines or Skagway would be able to pass through the Yukon Territory and northern British Columbia,, so long as they can show they are residents of Alaska if going north or proof of residence or employment in the lower 48 states if going south. But many Alaska residents say it’s not that easy and they’ve been turned back at the border, and the reasons given by Canadian border guards are varied. Travelers often don’t know until they reach the border whether they will be allowed through.

The Canadian government announced  it will open its border Aug. 9 to vaccinated Americans.
Travelers will have to upload proof they’ve been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus for at least two weeks. They will also have to get tested within 72 hours of arrival and submit a negative test result.
The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to non-essential travel since March of last year. Opening it is a boon for Alaska snowbirds who drive south in the fall, and for certain businesses that depend on road and ferry traffic.
At first, Canada is only opening the border to American citizens and permanent residents. It intends to begin allowing visitors from other countries to enter on Sept. 7.

The Canadian government announced  it will open its border Aug. 9 to vaccinated Americans.
Travelers will have to upload proof they’ve been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus for at least two weeks. They will also have to get tested within 72 hours of arrival and submit a negative test result.
The Canada-U.S. border has been closed to non-essential travel since March of last year. Opening it is a boon for Alaska snowbirds who drive south in the fall, and for certain businesses that depend on road and ferry traffic.
At first, Canada is only opening the border to American citizens and permanent residents. It intends to begin allowing visitors from other countries to enter on Sept. 7.

I wonder if you submit that you have actually had covid and thus now have natural immunity counts.

I wonder if you submit that you have actually had covid and thus now have natural immunity counts.

That would be our story.  We had COVID in early May 2021.  We are not vaccinated nor plan to, just have natural immunity which we feel is ideal.

Good Question

I read, that in a span of one week, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 vaccines reported to the government’s database outnumbered the official count of deaths due to the virus.

The government’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS, contains voluntary reports of adverse events following immunization with U.S.-licensed vaccines.

The news article noted VAERS reported 2,043 vaccine deaths in the week prior to July 7 compared to 1,505 COVID-19 deaths.

Despite Canadian easing, US extends land border restrictions.

The United States Government is extending the closure of the land borders with Canada until at least Aug 21.

The move announced Wednesday, July 21 by the Department of Homeland Security came two days after the Canadian government announced it would begin letting fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into Canada on Aug. 9 and those from the rest of the world on Sept. 7.

So what happens if you go into Canada then try to reenter the US?

Travel to and from Alaska has been logistically difficult for the past two years of increasingly strict rules on both sides of the border, after the Covid-19 virus became an international policy sensation. Vaccinated travelers can cross into the U.S. by land border without being tested, but Canada has insisted on a recent Covid test, which is difficult for some to get, since home tests are not accepted by Canadian Customs.

The current requirement to provide a negative Covid-19 test when crossing into Canada at a Canadian border ends April 1, the Canada Minister of Health announced. Travelers still must provide a proof of Covid vaccination, but will not need a booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated.

Travelers through the Canadian border also have to make border appointments through an app.

Rules are not lifting entirely. Travelers arriving to Canada from any country, even if fully vaccinated, may be chosen for random testing, which will be mandatory. If selected for mandatory random testing, travelers will not be required to quarantine while await
All travelers continue to be required to submit their mandatory information in ArriveCAN before their arrival in Canada.

Nothing in the announcement addressed the travel restrictions once in Canada.  Leaving those of us eager to drive the ALCAN wondering about limits on trip duration and restrictions imposed to preclude visiting tourist attractions

Travelers still must provide a proof of COVID vaccination, but will not need a booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated.

That keeps Irene and me from considering an AK trip because we refuse to get vaccinated.

The current price of gas doesn't help either.  A 5000 mile round-trip vacation is one thing, but to AK and back to Chicago with lots of places in between, could be 3x to 4x that.  20,000 miles, 9 mpg, $4.50 per gallon of gas, comes to $10,000 in gasoline alone, a serious conflict with our tight-budget life style.

Travel to Canada is made confusing by rules and regulations that are posted on officially sponsored websites only to persist long after being superseded.   Adhering to the normal standard operating procedures for classic bureaucratic agencies, the practice leads to unapologetic contradictions and confusion. 

I follow this link:  https://rvalaskacampgrounds.com/border-crossing/ 

Maintained by private enterprise, I find the information to be responsively maintained, clearer in message, and tends to be believable.  And, according to what I read, tourist travel via the Alcan is now available - at the discretion of the Border Agent.

Canada is open as long as you have proof of vaccination. The one unknown yet is if they will open the Poker Creek border crossing. That crossing has been closed the past two years. So far nothing is shown on official sites, but perhaps updates will happen in May.

Canada is bringing to a close its draconian Covid-19 vaccine border policies,and will not ban travelers who haven’t been fully vaccinated against the Covid virus from entering the country.

Those traveling to Canada also no longer will need to make an appointment on the ArriveCan government app that Canada has used to track travelers. People will not need to upload their proof of vaccination and their travel itineraries into the phone app. In addition, Canada will no longer require people to wear face masks on public transportation, including commercial air carriers.

The announcement was made after several days of rumors on social media. Canadian officials say the population is now well vaccinated and the hospital rates are lower, due to more treatments and booster vaccinations that target new variants, such as the Omicron variants.

The border policies have been irregularly enforced and error-prone, according to many travelers. Towns of Skagway and Haines in Alaska have been hard hit because of the policies, which have prevented the free flow of tourism traffic between Canada and Alaska.

After both countries closed their borders in March of 2020, the United States eased its border policies over a year ago, and Canada reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers from the United States and Mexico last November, and later to travelers from other countries who were vaccinated and boosted.

It is good to hear that Canada is almost back to normal.....maybe fully back to normal.

I suppose it could be claimed Canada is back to "Normal" for travellers wanting to enter.  Considering the easing of border restrictions and further devaluation of the Canadian Dollar, this summer might be a good opportunity for those wanting to make the Alaska trip.

According to Transport Canada:

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is not required
COVID-19 pre-entry and arrival tests are not required
Quarantine after you enter Canada is not required
Using ArriveCAN is not required
Pre-boarding tests for cruise passengers are not required
As always, travel documents are required
Health checks to board planes and trains are not required