From Great Race Director, Jeff Stumb
“I had a good meeting with the folks at Canada Border Services Agency and wanted to pass along what I have learned.
Getting across the border is going to be very simple for all of our contestants as long as they have their passports and their vehicle registration with them. I am going to provide one week in advance to the Superintendent of CBSA a list of all cars and participants. They estimate that it will take less than one minute per car to get across between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 24. We have allotted more than a half hour for each car to be safe.
The CBSA has asked that each car have an itinerary of your travel in Canada, which we provide you for the entire 9-day race. The border agents will probably only ask for passports, but they can ask for vehicle registration if they feel like it. The itinerary would only be asked for in an extreme case.
We are going to demand that no support vehicles cross the border until all race cars have had time to go through since the Sault Ste. Marie crossing is small one. Director of Competition John Classen will give support crews a time when it will be OK to leave the hotel with their instructions. Staff and check point crews will cross before the first car.
The support crews, especially those with trailers, will have to have title or registration for their vehicle and trailer. Modern vehicles being used for support teams will need to have copies of their title or registration just in case they are asked for them. The CBSA knows that some states dont title trailers, so they will accept registration on the trailer. Every trailer entering Canada must have a license plate and registration just like the passenger vehicle. Rental car paperwork will take the place of title and registration for anyone driving a rental.
It is not too late to consider leaving your support vehicle and/or trailer in Dearborn or Traverse City at our secure storage facilities.
More than likely, especially with the advanced work we are doing, each vehicle crossing the border will only be asked for their passport and asked if they are on a business or pleasure trip. All of our contestants are there for pleasure.
I will be at the border crossing the entire time racers are crossing to help with any problems and to act as a contact for each participant if needed.
I also want to share a link to a four-page guide from the CBSA for visitors coming to Canada that everyone should read. It is most helpful with what you can and cannot bring into Canada, including exemptions on alcohol and tobacco. Firearms are prohibited.
Click the link below to read the guide for visitors to Canada.“
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5119-eng.html
Having used this crossing quite often I can assure you it is not the time to get through customs, it is the line up to get to the crossing, the earlier the better, I have waited for more than an hour..
Looking forward to have the rally come to Ottawa
DAVID