‘What app?’ B.C. border crossers confused by ArriveCAN requirement for short trips

Even with the pricey PCR test requirement waived for short trips to the U.S., some vaccinated British Columbians say they’re getting turned around at the Canadian border because they didn’t download an app they had no idea they needed.

Starting Nov. 30, the requirement to show a negative COVID-19 test at the land border was dropped for people spending 72 hours or less in the States — paving the way for daytrippers, weekend getaways, and quick trips to get gas and groceries.

RELATED: Canada to drop COVID-19 tests for short trips: reports

This came as a relief to Martin and Leslie Ford, who live in South Surrey and wanted to fill up their gas tank amid fuel shortages and restrictions in B.C.

Leslie says she did her research before the pair set out Tuesday, and says she didn’t come across any mention of the ArriveCAN app.

“I googled everything I could think of to google. I’m paranoid after last week when they screwed everything up at the border,” she says, referring to a situation where some people from B.C. were slapped with tickets for not showing a negative PCR test even though trips for essentials were exempt from this requirement due to the emergency situation created by catastrophic flooding.

After waiting in a long line, growing anxious because they were seeing people turned around, it was their turn to be screened for re-entry into Canada.

“They’re saying we need to have this app. We don’t have this app. What app?” Leslie says.

These calls are still coming into our newsroom. As a reminder: if you're going across the U.S., even for shorter than 72 hours, you need proof of vaccination and ArriveCan app or equivalent paper forms filled out–or you could be hit with a fine + two weeks quarantine. https://t.co/LNsT47yD0k

— Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) December 1, 2021

This question was echoed by a number of callers to CityNews Tuesday who said they had their provincial and federal vaccine cards but were unaware that downloading the ArriveCAN app and uploading proof of immunization was required for these short trips by car.

B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation, seemingly responding to the same confusion, clarified this requirement in a social media post Tuesday afternoon.

A @CanBorder reminder – ALL travellers, no matter how long you've been away, MUST submit your mandatory info via #ArriveCAN (free app) prior to coming into Canada.
Arriving by car, truck or bus at a land port of entry? Yes, you too.
Info: https://t.co/hj9EIenYQ0

— BC Transportation (@TranBC) December 1, 2021

The Fords say the first border guard they encountered asked them for a negative PCR test, beofre being told by a colleague that requirement doesn;t apply to short trips. Then, they say they were given the option of paying a fine or a two-week quarantine.

Flustered and frustrated, they turned around.

“My blood pressure must have gone up 10 times,” Martin says.

After turning back into the U.S., they say someone finally explained the requirement to have the ArriveCAN app.

“You should have seen how many people they were turning back through the U.S. border. So there’s tons of people that don’t know this,” Leslie says.

“They wouldn’t be sending that many people back into the U.S. to fill it out if people actually understood what was going on ahead of time. It’s just it’s very frustrating because it’s such a lack of communication and poor management down at the border right now. ”

A simple solution, Leslie thinks, would be to display information about what is required that people can see while they’re waiting their turn to cross.

“I’m pretty pissed off because all they needed was some signs,” Leslie says.

“We were waiting a long time to get through the border line up. There was lots of time to [get the app] if we’d known we had to.”

CityNews has reached out to Canada Border Services Agency for comment on this issue.

“All travellers, regardless of how long they were away from Canada, continue to be required to submit their mandatory information via ArriveCAN (free mobile app or website), including proof of vaccination in English or French and a quarantine plan prior to arriving in Canada,” a spokesperson wrote, pointing to a statement announcing the waving of the PCR test requirement, which did include this information in a summary of “quick Facts” at the bottom.