As Canada Day approaches, the Canadian Border Service Agency is also preparing for a busy weekend. Last year, they processed over 2000 travellers in 1000 vehicles in southern Saskatchewan alone. This year, they are hoping that with a little help, those travellers can avoid a long wait to get into the country and begin their celebrations. 

The CBSA have released the following tips to make your trip to Canada as smooth as possible:

Bring Proper ID: Border Officers suggest bringing a passport as proof of citizenship or permanent residency. If you are a U.S. permanent resident, bring your U.S. Permanent Resident Card.

Plan Ahead: Plan to cross the border during off peak times such as the morning.

"No matter where travellers are crossing," explained Luke Reimer, a communications officer with the CBSA, "we would recommend that they go in the morning hopefully to save time because the lineups usually start building in the afternoon and over the evening. If you are crossing, we would recommend you use North Portal because it has the greatest capacity, whereas at some of the smaller ports, during those peak times, it can lead to wait times."

You can visit the CBSA Website to check wait times.

Make a Full Declaration: Make sure you declare everything fully and honestly. There are certain goods that are not allowed into Canada. If you declare them, you may avoid a penalty. The CBSA has a list of restricted and prohibited goods. Also, a permit is required if you want to bring in firewood. 

"When drivers arrive in Canada, they must accurately declare their goods and answer all questions truthfully. We would encourage all visitors to come ready to make a full declaration and make sure you know what you have with you and if it's allowed to come into Canad because there are certain goods that you can't bring into Canada."

Leave Fireworks and Firearms at Home: Check the CBSA website for all the rules regarding importing firearms and fireworks. The CBSA advises travellers to leave their firearms at home but if you choose to bring them, make sure you declare at your first opportunity. 

"We would recommend that travellers not bring fireworks across the border. You have to have written authorization and import permits to bring them into Canada and most people probably won't want to go through those extra steps. So to avoid the hassle, we would strongly recommend that travellers just don't bring them across the border and rather buy them in Canada once they're here."

And that goes for firearms as well. Most recently at the North Portal Border Crossing, on June 12, a North Carolina man was found with a loaded .380 caliber pistol in the cab of his truck. He was arrested and paid a $1000 penalty and returned to the United States. 

Know the Rules on Alcohol: You must meet the minimum age which in Saskatchewan, is 19 years of age. There are limits to how much alcohol is allowed into Canada. Provinces also have certain limits.