According to my memory the lack of practical connections meant I had to spend the night, ride a disgusting bus, or wait for a train so late the scenery would be in darkness. I tried choosing the disgusting bus, mainly because the other options were less practical, but I won't be doing that again. I'm also curious how people avoid forfeiting an expensive trip if a test comes back positive or you are denied entry on some border clerk's whim, assuming that's even possible.
I had heard from a Canadian YouTuber that his country's government was considering a more flexible definition of "fully vaccinated," to include however many boosters their version of the CDC thinks are required (a number which could change).
For Starlight connections, it will still be the bus and that will continue even once 517/518 resume. That train never connected to the Starlight. The Starlight connection was always a bus and is likely to remain so.
That may be, but it has not been announced, much less implemented.
They keep talking about this but so far no action. As someone with all 4 current shots I don't care, however the government will face tremendous backlash from the majority who stopped at two. They are also trying to walk a fine line between encouraging Americans to travel here while discouraging Canadians from traveling at all.
If they want to encourage Americans, they need to get rid of that random arrivals test. It is a huge disincentive and a real problem for travelers, while doing little or nothing to protect Canadians.
Most countries I've checked let vaxxed people simply go about their business or they require a 72-hour pre-departure test that gives you time to cancel or reschedule major expenses as necessary. I am not entirely sure what they're thinking but Canada seems increasingly out of step on this one.
If it is truly random then it should work just like secondary screening in Mexico. Truly random events do not require (and are undermined by) personal details, unique logins, and telemetry apps.
Canada used to require a 72 hour pre-arrival PCR test until March, the a 24 hour medically collected antigen or a PCR within 72 hours through April, then they dropped pre-arrival test requirements. The still did the random test in addition to the pre-arrival. They dropped the pre-arrival but kept the random
It is apparently pretty random. At least at airport arrivals now, the CBSA agent has nothing to do with it. They notifiy you at your contact info from ArriveCan about 15 minutes after you clear inspection.
random testing for my trip starting 10/29!Hope so, too, but have to give you kudos on your ingenious solution to its absence.
That would certainly save on Illinoisans like me having to figure out the best option in New York state for connecting from the Lake Shore Limited to the Maple Leaf!
When you do the required ArriveCan app you upload the proof of vaccination, so they already have it.
My experience having crossed three times since the border reopened, once on the "Can't Rail" bus, twice in my own vehicle:
