Border officials urge planning as holiday travel brings long weekend delays

The Canada Border Services Agency is warning travellers to expect delays at border crossings on the Monday of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

"Consider crossing at the least busy port of entry in the area," the agency said online.

Most workers in Canada will have Monday, Oct. 12 off for Thanksgiving, while many Americans also have the day off for Columbus Day.

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The CBSA recommends travellers check border wait times before leaving home.

Wait times for 30 of the busiest Canada-U.S. crossings, including the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, the Gordie Howe International Bridge and the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, are available on the CBSA website.

The site also includes wait times for three of the Niagara crossings, though it excludes the Whirlpool Bridge.

The CBSA website is updated at least once an hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The border agency reminds travellers that the reported wait times should be treated as estimates.

For trips via any of Niagara's four Canada-U.S. bridges, travellers can check the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission website.

That site includes border wait times at the Queenston Lewiston Bridge, the Whirlpool Bridge, the Rainbow Bridge and the Peace Bridge.

The CBSA urges travellers to have all travel documents handy to speed up processing times.

If travelling with children who are not your own, you should carry a consent letter from the parent or legal guardian authorizing you to travel with the child.

According to the CBSA, early mornings are best for crossing the border if you're looking to avoid lengthy wait times.

When using GPS applications like Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze, the agency suggests checking different navigation options, such as the fastest and shortest routes, to determine the quickest way to cross.

For air travel, Toronto Pearson airport recommends arriving at least 90 minutes prior to departure for domestic flights and three to four hours before international or U.S. departures.

Real-time security wait times, flight status updates and parking availability are available on the airport's website.

The CBSA plans and prepares for long weekends and summer travel.

In 2025, the CBSA welcomed over 82 million travellers, stopped over 83,200 kg of illegal drugs from entering Canada and kept more than 18,500 weapons and firearms off the streets, according to a news release.

Recent statistics show a slight uptick in cross-border traffic.

In June, the number of Canadian-resident return trips from the U.S. increased five per cent year over year, while trips to Canada by U.S. residents rose 6.1 per cent.

This follows a steep drop in 2025, when total Canadian-resident return border crossings from the United States dropped more than 25 per cent compared to the previous year, according to a July 2025 study by Statistics Canada.

Travel spending on visits to the U.S. dropped by $3.3 billion in 2025 and spending on leisure-related visits fell by $2.2 billion compared to 2024.

In early 2026, Statistics Canada said the number of Canadians returning from the U.S. remained at similar levels compared to late 2025.

With files from Inside Halton