US border crossings, BC Ferries busy for long weekend travellers

If you’re heading south across the border over the long weekend, make sure you budget for a long border lineup as wait times could be quite busy over the next few days

For much of the morning Friday, the Peace Arch and Pacific Highway border crossing had wait times of over two hours.

As of late afternoon, however, all crossings were at minimal wait times after the earlier lineups.

The Canada Border Services Agency is reminding travellers to be prepared if their travel plans involve a trip abroad, even through a land crossing.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Listen to CityNews 1130 LIVE now!

The CBSA says people should expect delays and check border wait times before they head out.

“Travellers crossing the border by land are encouraged to cross during non-peak hours such as early mornings. The Monday of holiday long weekends tend to be the busiest, with longer border wait times,” the agency explains.

Travellers are reminded to have their travel documents ready — no matter how they are travelling — noting this can help speed up processing times.

If you’re also shopping, make sure you’re ready to declare your goods on the way back, with the CBSA saying you should have receipts “readily available for goods purchased or received while outside of Canada.” In addition, people are reminded to know their personal exemption limits, including for alcohol and tobacco.

BC Ferries busy for travellers bound for Vancouver Island

BC Ferries were also busy Friday morning, as travellers look to head from the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island.

If you’re heading to Departure Bay from Horseshoe Bay, there was already a two-sailing wait at 6 a.m. for those without a reservation.

Leaving Tsawwassen and going to Swartz Bay, travellers were also seeing a two-sailing wait at 6 a.m. for those who hadn’t prebooked their spot.

Metro Vancouver weather fining up Friday afternoon

Meanwhile, if you’re staying in town, you shouldn’t be worried by the morning’s drizzling rain — things are set to become clearer shortly.

CityNews Meteorologist Carl Lam explained weather conditions are set to become dry later Friday.

“[We] are going to notice a little more sunshine creeping in. But it really takes that cold front to swing on through by the time we go into the evening and overnight before things really start to dramatically clear out across Metro Vancouver,” Lam said.

But he noted, Saturday are Sunday are the picks of the weekend.

“If you’re doing any Easter egg hunts, you won’t have to trudge through a muddy lawn. All in all, a really beautiful weekend across Metro Vancouver,” he added

“We have plenty of sunshine for both Saturday and Sunday and very comfortable temperatures in the low to mid-teens across the entire region.”

Listen to CityNews 1130 every 10 minutes on the ones for traffic and weather updates. You can also catch the Border Report every :39 past the hour.