View of the Coutts Border Crossing lineup early Monday morning. (Photo supplied by Krystal Patton)

By Justin Goulet

Lineups at Coutts border causing headaches for essential workers

Nov 8, 2021 | 10:44 AM

COUTTS, AB – It’s a big day at border crossings across the country.

Land borders into the United States have reopened for non-essential travel the first time in nearly 20 months. There are some rules to cross over, though, including proof of COVID-19 vaccination and proof of a negative COVID-19 test upon re-entry into Canada.

The reopening has led to large lineups at the borders, including at the Coutts port of entry into Sweet Grass, Montana. Krystal Patton told LNN that her husband is a commercial truck driver, which is an essential service, which means he’s been able to cross the border for work before Monday’s reopening.

She said, “he drives from Milk River to Shelby [Montana] every day, three times a day.”

“He usually gets down there at about 6:30 to the border, [it’s a] 10-minute wait, by the time they switch over and he’s across. This morning, it was almost three hours.”

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Patton said the delay at crossings was inevitable but questioned why so many people wanted to cross immediately on reopening day.

She noted that, “driving down there this morning, these truck drivers are in the middle of RVs, cars, nobody’s letting these truck drivers through to get to the border to do their job, so they’re all losing hours on their logbooks.”

“There are campers here in Milk River that were here last night, and they’re still parked now because they’re not ready to cross yet.”

Patton said as of about 10 a.m. Monday, the RVs camped out in Milk River last night left the community to reach the border crossing. However, she’s still concerned that the border lineups will continue to slow essential workers down.

“I’m surprised there’s no accident out there yet.”

Patton added that, “our local tow truck [driver] just got his first call that someone in the border lineup ran out of gas.”

LNN has also received reports that many vehicles are blocking access roads into Coutts. Drivers are being asked to leave space on the highway for fellow motorists to access side roads.

As of 10:30 a.m., the wait for both commercial and traveller traffic at the Coutts border was roughly 110 minutes. Wait times at crossings across the country can be seen here.