Highways in Canada

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

I was in the BC Interior on the weekend and saw my share of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and California plates. Nelson seems to be a popular destination for Americans, as is the Okanagan. And the previous weekend on Highway 99 in Richmond I saw probably 50% or more of vehicles having Washington plates. I spoke to one guy visiting Vancouver from LA.

This is really the first “normal” summer since 2019. We still had ArriveCan at this time a year ago.

I just spent the last couple of weeks in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. The only personal vehicle Canadian license plates that I saw the whole time I was in the U.S. was one from Quebec in Indiana and three motorcycles together from Ontario in Michigan and some at the border in Sault Ste Marie MI. It was so strange not seeing any Ontario plates on very busy Interstates. I did see many transport trucks from Ontario on Interstate highways and did encounter a some Ontarians in Chicago at the White Sox and Blue Jays game I went to. Hotels workers at places I stayed at said that very few Canadians are visiting right now compared to usual. I can see why due to higher costs.

Another interesting thing is that the price of gasoline in Illinois (mainly Chicago area) is about the same as in Ontario. It was cheaper in the other three states but not the difference it used to be.

[flipper316]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Many Americans are learning that the cost of most goods and many services is cheaper in Canada right now so it makes sense that more are visiting here to shop and vacation.

I doubt that. 2 dollars a litre in BC.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by flipper316

I doubt that. 2 dollars a litre in BC.

Ouch. I thought it was bad in Timmins as the Esso in my neighbourhood's current price is $165.6 a litre.

When I was away the highest gas price in the U.S. I saw was $4.33 a gallon in the Chicago area. The lowest was $3.11 somewhere in Indiana at a Murphy oil station in a Walmart parking lot. There were many stations around $3.50-3.70 a gallon elsewhere.


The Chicago area price ends up being CAD $1.50 per Litre

The lowest Indiana price ends up being CAD $1.08.5 per Litre

The average station at $3.60 a gallon end up being CAD $1.25.4 per Litre.

Gasoline was one of the few things that was cheaper in the U.S. although the difference isn't what it used to be. Right now the average price in Ontario is $1.59.2 according to the Ontario government. Source: https://www.ontario.ca/motor-fuel-prices/

But enough about gas prices.


One thing I've been noticing lately is that many goods are cheaper to produce in Canada than in the U.S.. Likely a reason for our lower prices and lower rate of inflation.

[craner]

Multiple deaths in fiery Highway 1 crash near Revelstoke police say

http://https://globalnews.ca/video/9828808/fiery-multi-vehicle-crash-closes-highway-1-near-revelstoke/
☹️

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by flipper316

I doubt that. 2 dollars a litre in BC.

Vancouver/Bellingham may have the largest cross-border gas price gap along the entirety of the Canada-US border. Gas in Bellingham is routinely 25-35% cheaper than in Metro Vancouver. Last time I went to Bellingham (over a month ago) gas in Vancouver was around $1.90/L and Bellingham was $4.05/gallon, which works out to roughly $1.42/L in CAD. I never saw gas price gaps that large when I used to cross the border from Ontario to either NY or Michigan; I remember one time in 2017 the price in Niagara Falls, NY was almost identical to Toronto.

For what it’s worth, Bellingham is routinely cheaper than Seattle and the rest of Washington as well. There’s an oil refinery a very short distance away in Ferndale, so that may help.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I just spent the last couple of weeks in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. The only personal vehicle Canadian license plates that I saw the whole time I was in the U.S. was one from Quebec in Indiana and three motorcycles together from Ontario in Michigan and some at the border in Sault Ste Marie MI. It was so strange not seeing any Ontario plates on very busy Interstates. I did see many transport trucks from Ontario on Interstate highways and did encounter a some Ontarians in Chicago at the White Sox and Blue Jays game I went to. Hotels workers at places I stayed at said that very few Canadians are visiting right now compared to usual. I can see why due to higher costs.

Another interesting thing is that the price of gasoline in Illinois (mainly Chicago area) is about the same as in Ontario. It was cheaper in the other three states but not the difference it used to be.

I’ve been in Washington State three times this year, and I’d say the majority of cars on I-5 between the border and Bellingham are BC drivers. Between Bellingham and Seattle it’s a lot less, but there’s always a few BC plates, including in Seattle proper.

When I used to go back and forth between Toronto and Cleveland, there were always plenty of Ontario plates on I-90 in the Buffalo area, but it really dropped off before the PA state line. I saw a couple Ontario plates one time near the OH/PA state line, but otherwise no Canadians. I would imagine there would be a lot more whenever the Blue Jays or Raptors played in Cleveland.

Back in BC and Washington, there was a news story recently saying that cross-border traffic to Bellingham and Whatcom County is still well below the levels from before the pandemic.

[sonysnob]

I was in LA earlier this year, and I saw a fellow Ontario plate (actually my car had BC plates on it), on La Cienga Boulevard in LA's west side.

They were driving an Audi convertible. Much nicer than my rented Toyota Corolla.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by Loco101

I just spent the last couple of weeks in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. The only personal vehicle Canadian license plates that I saw the whole time I was in the U.S. was one from Quebec in Indiana and three motorcycles together from Ontario in Michigan and some at the border in Sault Ste Marie MI. It was so strange not seeing any Ontario plates on very busy Interstates. I did see many transport trucks from Ontario on Interstate highways and did encounter a some Ontarians in Chicago at the White Sox and Blue Jays game I went to. Hotels workers at places I stayed at said that very few Canadians are visiting right now compared to usual. I can see why due to higher costs.

Another interesting thing is that the price of gasoline in Illinois (mainly Chicago area) is about the same as in Ontario. It was cheaper in the other three states but not the difference it used to be.

Ontario has cut gas taxes quite a lot lately which has narrowed the gap. The PC government's tax cuts have actually focused almost exclusively on cars between gas tax cuts and the elimination of vehicle registration fees.

but yes - travel in the US is far more expensive than it used to be for Canadians. The golden age of the early 2010's when the dollar was at parity and the US economy was in the gutter are long gone. At that time the US was a dirt cheap travel destination for Canadians.

Border traffic has in general been flat or declining basically since 9/11 from my understanding. Stricter border measures have made people cross a lot less frequently.

[flipper316]

https://www.castanet.net/news/Salmon-Arm...through-Tappen-to-start-this-fall#438352

[manny_santos]

Yellowknife's only road access to the rest of North America is closed due to a wildfire:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/n-w...nd-yellowknife-due-to-wildfire-1.6917455

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Border traffic has in general been flat or declining basically since 9/11 from my understanding. Stricter border measures have made people cross a lot less frequently.

Some of it has also been political. I know several people who have refused to set foot in the United States under any circumstance since Trump's election in 2016 - even now. One couple lives in the London area and has family in Sault Ste. Marie, and they drive 2 1/2 hours out of their way around Georgian Bay to avoid having to enter Michigan - they don't want any interaction with American people whatsoever. Others don't want to give any money to American people. One guy I spoke to in the Fraser Valley a couple weeks ago used to cross the border regularly for gas and shopping and now he won't cross because he doesn't want to support that country financially. (Never mind that Bellingham and Seattle are politically further left than where this guy lives!)

Personally I think it amounts to xenophobia.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Some of it has also been political. I know several people who have refused to set foot in the United States under any circumstance since Trump's election in 2016 - even now. One couple lives in the London area and has family in Sault Ste. Marie, and they drive 2 1/2 hours out of their way around Georgian Bay to avoid having to enter Michigan - they don't want any interaction with American people whatsoever. Others don't want to give any money to American people. One guy I spoke to in the Fraser Valley a couple weeks ago used to cross the border regularly for gas and shopping and now he won't cross because he doesn't want to support that country financially. (Never mind that Bellingham and Seattle are politically further left than where this guy lives!)

Personally I think it amounts to xenophobia.

I didn't want to go to the U.S. when Trump was president and never did. I also wanted to explore Canada during that time more than anything. I visited a number of states this year and was glad that there is very little visible support for Trump wherever I went which included some heavily Republican areas. I don't remember seeing any vehicles with Trump stickers. I just saw a few houses mainly in rural areas that had the Trump flags along with other crazy stuff. Very similar to the pro-convoy supporters here.

But I was amazed at not seeing any personal (non-commercial) vehicle Ontario license plates all around Lake Michigan. I have been seeing more American plates in Northeastern Ontario than usual.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Some of it has also been political. I know several people who have refused to set foot in the United States under any circumstance since Trump's election in 2016 - even now. One couple lives in the London area and has family in Sault Ste. Marie, and they drive 2 1/2 hours out of their way around Georgian Bay to avoid having to enter Michigan - they don't want any interaction with American people whatsoever. Others don't want to give any money to American people. One guy I spoke to in the Fraser Valley a couple weeks ago used to cross the border regularly for gas and shopping and now he won't cross because he doesn't want to support that country financially. (Never mind that Bellingham and Seattle are politically further left than where this guy lives!)

I get that sentiment. To an extent I agree with it.

There are still a lot of people who enjoy visiting the U.S. for shopping. And in this area (Hamilton-Niagara) the allure of a cheaper flight from Buffalo to other American cities is still strong.

I have family in Michigan and Arizona. While I may not venture to the U.S. for a casual vacation (mindful that my current situation means spending my travel dollars sparingly) and shopping isn't a big thing for me, to visit family the border isn't a major consideration.

It's a complicated relationship! This cross-border thing.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Some of it has also been political. I know several people who have refused to set foot in the United States under any circumstance since Trump's election in 2016 - even now. One couple lives in the London area and has family in Sault Ste. Marie, and they drive 2 1/2 hours out of their way around Georgian Bay to avoid having to enter Michigan - they don't want any interaction with American people whatsoever. Others don't want to give any money to American people. One guy I spoke to in the Fraser Valley a couple weeks ago used to cross the border regularly for gas and shopping and now he won't cross because he doesn't want to support that country financially. (Never mind that Bellingham and Seattle are politically further left than where this guy lives!)

Personally I think it amounts to xenophobia.

Eh, people who think and behave that way are just missing out in my opinion. Generally Americans are wonderful people. There is little I enjoy more than driving south and exploring somewhere new - but yea - I know several people like that. Most recently a friend who refuses to visit states with abortion bans, for example.

Ultimately lower border traffic doesn’t come primarily from that though - it comes from reduced levels of “small” crossings because of stricter enforcement (harder to get away with day long shopping trips without having to declare), as well as the fact that the majority of Americans don’t have passports and were suddenly made ineligible to cross in 2009.

[esquire]

There are some places I would not visit because I find them too reprehensible... Russia is an example of a country I would have considered visiting in the past but would never do so now. But the USA is extremely far from reaching that point... at least in my view.

The crappy exchange rate is what limits my appetite for visiting the US, but I still go... I visited California earlier this year and I think I might road trip to Minnesota soon.

I do know some people who refuse to go, though. Neighbouring North Dakota is a real pariah, many drive through without stopping, or go directly into Minnesota even though it adds time on a drive to most common destinations (Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City) given that it's on state highways and not interstates.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by esquire

There are some places I would not visit because I find them too reprehensible... Russia is an example of a country I would have considered visiting in the past but would never do so now. But the USA is extremely far from reaching that point... at least in my view.

The crappy exchange rate is what limits my appetite for visiting the US, but I still go... I visited California earlier this year and I think I might road trip to Minnesota soon.

I do know some people who refuse to go, though. Neighbouring North Dakota is a real pariah, many drive through without stopping, or go directly into Minnesota even though it adds time on a drive to most common destinations (Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City) given that it's on state highways and not interstates.

I’ve always found it funny that there are no divided 4 lanes between SK and the states. Lol what happened?
B.C. has B.C.-99 to I-5. Alberta has AB-4 to I-15. Manitoba (which we always joked about) has MB-75 to I-29. Ontario has ON-402 to I-69 among many others. Quebec has A15 to I-87 and A-55 to I-91. Even New Brunswick has N.B.-95 to I-95.
Lol what happened to SK??

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I’ve always found it funny that there are no divided 4 lanes between SK and the states. Lol what happened?
B.C. has B.C.-99 to I-5. Alberta has AB-4 to I-15. Manitoba (which we always joked about) has MB-75 to I-29. Ontario has ON-402 to I-69 among many others. Quebec has A15 to I-87 and A-55 to I-91. Even New Brunswick has N.B.-95 to I-95.
Lol what happened to SK??

The United States didn't build an adjoining Interstate highway in North Dakota or Montana?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by thewave46

The United States didn't build an adjoining Interstate highway in North Dakota or Montana?

New Brunswick not only has a divided NB-95 connecting to I-95 at Woodstock/Houlton, we also have a divided NB-1 connecting to US-1 at Saint Stephen/Calais. This is despite the fact that the nearest US interstate at this point is in Bangor, 150 km away.

Just because there is no adjacent US interstate doesn't mean you can't divide your own highway to the border.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I’ve always found it funny that there are no divided 4 lanes between SK and the states. Lol what happened?
B.C. has B.C.-99 to I-5. Alberta has AB-4 to I-15. Manitoba (which we always joked about) has MB-75 to I-29. Ontario has ON-402 to I-69 among many others. Quebec has A15 to I-87 and A-55 to I-91. Even New Brunswick has N.B.-95 to I-95.
Lol what happened to SK??

SK is not close to any larger American cities, so I suspect there just simply isn't enough traffic to warrant a 4 lane highway.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

New Brunswick not only has a divided NB-95 connecting to I-95 at Woodstock/Houlton, we also have a divided NB-1 connecting to US-1 at Saint Stephen/Calais. This is despite the fact that the nearest US interstate at this point is in Bangor, 150 km away.

Just because there is no adjacent US interstate doesn't mean you can't divide your own highway to the border.

Well, one thing NB is really good at is making it easy to get the heck out of there lol