Re: [IRCA] Passports

[Walter Salmaniw <salmaniw@xxxxxxx>]

Re Passports:

Eric gave a good summary of the changes, and he's correct that we Canadians are not too thrilled about the need for you Americans to have a passport to get back into your own country.  Well, that's not for us to decide, but for many communities, such as Vancouver and Victoria that are very happy to have our American friends visit, and often only for the day, it'll be a major impediment for those quick cross-border trips unless you have the passport.  As I recall, something like 25% or so of Americans have a passport compared to twice or three times that number for Canadians.  We seem to travel much more as a country (outside our borders) compared to our American neighbours.  I'm always surprised to talk to someone while visiting the U.S. and finding out that they've never been outside their own town/state/or the U.S.  I've always carried a passport, if only to speed the process through security checkpoints, etc.  I still remember Nick H-P pulling out his 8 X 10 birth certificate (or Baptismal certificate) and driver's license, etc to show the American border agent on one of our trips to Grayland.  Seemed to me at the time to be a good investment to have that passport.  Now it's all automated too.  The agent scans the passport, and presumably nothing of interest is generated, so I'm generally waived through with a pleasant, "have a nice day".  I expect the same would happen coming this way for the folks from the States........Walt Salmaniw, Victoria, B.C.


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