Thank you for this site. I forwarded it to DS who can barely talk to me about all of this.

Thank you all. He is going with my hubby and crossing from Maine. I'm just trying to be careful and also looking to do something with my slightly anxious feelings about this transition!

I have heard from people crossing into the United States that the custom agents took all their food. So please check before so you do not waste your money.

They take fruit and some foods when coming back into the US. Canadian border patrol is much more relaxed.

I know produce and firewood are a problem. With the way things are these days, it's best to really look into this to avoid any delays or problems.

It depends on the food, really. Citrus is a big deal, but if it's processed or packaged in any way, they don't really care. I go over about once a week to get groceries, get my mail, send a letter to my husband. Jam is ok, strawberries aren't. Pets sometimes need proof of vaccinations. Here's the short list of food that I tend to get in the US just because of prices:

Tex-Mex style food is largely, and sadly, unavailable. Velveeta to make Queso is $16/lb. No joke. Dairy in general is much more expensive - Milk near me is pushing $5 a gallon. Tortillas, refried beans, etc are hideously expensive (yay $3/can!)

Meats are pretty much the same. We don't have Oscar Meyer, but we do have Schneider's, and it's pretty much the same stuff.

If you want unsweetened Iced Tea, you need to order a hot tea and a glass of ice. No joke - unsweetened iced tea, much less cold-brew tea bags - is unavailable everywhere I've ever looked in this country..

That being said, there are some things which are marked the same, but do not taste the same. Which baffles my husband, and makes cooking an adventure. Ranch dressing tastes different in Canada. We don't know why. At all. It just does.

We tend to have a smaller selection of products, as well. So we'll have the basic Campbell's soup, like chicken noodle, but not the wonky flavours.

I'm going to go ahead and assume that the study visa is all worked out, hopefully with the help of the school - That's the biggest concern, and you may get flagged "over" just in order to deal with that. (I'm Canadian - American (This is the first time I've ever actually said that - the paperwork came through on friday!), My husband's American, my dad's Canadian, my Mom's American, and border crossings are sometimes no problem, but before my paperwork came through, they were also sometimes quite the adventure.

Good luck, welcome to Canada, and if you've got any more questions, don't hesitate to PM!

When we crossed over into Canada in July, the only things they seemed concerned about were alcohol, tobaco and firearms.

Don't know if its still the same as it was Wash to BC, but we used to go to the US for groceries. No meat or produce allowed was the only condition. (about 40 yrs ago!)

Thank you, all, - we are one day closer to departure day. I expect things are going to get a little frantic around here! (I will stay calm, I will stay calm) :)

Just be sure whoever goes has their proof of UScitizenship. We never had any problems entering Canada. It's always been the return trip into US. One of our children was adopted from a foreign country. Apparently the US thinks blond haired people enter Canada to kidnap foreign born children-duh. Yet friends of ours who all have black/dark brown hair never got stopped entering with their child who was adopted from the same country as our child. We have never had any issues with food, but never brought fresh produce into US from Canada. I recommend you call and ask. Also our USCustoms stops were always in Niagara Falls area and they seem to stop people there alot more often than some of the other crossing locations.
Your son will be fine.
Kat

Never been to Canada. This has been interesting to read. I assume you know you now need a passport to cross back and forth.