BC Ferries expects 446,000 Thanksgiving weekend passengers as border officers warn poultry leftovers from the U.S. won’t get in

Canadians heading out for the Thanksgiving long weekend should plan for crowds. BC Ferries expects around 446,000 passengers and 175,000 vehicles on its major routes between Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast from Thursday, Oct. 8, to Tuesday, Oct. 13, CHEK News reported Wednesday. Thanksgiving falls on Monday, Oct. 12, this year, and the ferry operator plans to run 3,300 sailings across its system over the same period.

“The Thanksgiving long weekend is typically the fourth busiest long weekend across the BC Ferries network, and we’re expecting another busy weekend this year,” spokesperson Amanda Wawryk said in a statement. “Advance bookings are tracking well ahead of last year, and some of the most popular travel times are already fully booked or filling quickly.” As of about noon Wednesday, more than 73,000 vehicles had already reserved a spot on the major routes for the long weekend.

BC Ferries recommends that people travelling with vehicles reserve ahead or consider early morning or late evening sailings, which may be less busy. Travelling on foot offers the most flexibility, the company says. “If you’re travelling by vehicle without a booking and arrive during a peak period when sailings are already full, you should be prepared to wait for the next available sailing,” Wawryk said. Travellers are also urged to check the operator’s current conditions page before leaving.

Families planning a quick trip across the U.S. border have their own homework. In an Oct. 6 advisory, the Canada Border Services Agency reminded people returning to Canada over the long weekend to plan ahead, have travel documents ready for the officer and declare everything they are bringing back. Drivers are responsible for everything inside their vehicle. Residents can use their personal exemptions to bring back goods, including some alcohol and tobacco, without paying regular duty and taxes, but should know the value of their purchases in Canadian dollars and keep receipts handy.

The agency also flagged the holiday table. The CBSA advises travellers to avoid importing raw poultry products or by-products, including turkey, and to review current restrictions on poultry and birds from the United States before bringing such products across the border. Homemade food or leftovers containing poultry cannot be brought into Canada, it said. Under Canadian Food Inspection Agency guidance for travellers, last updated in February 2025, retail-packaged poultry products clearly labelled “Product of the USA” are allowed from any state regardless of outbreak status, including frozen whole turkeys and chickens, rotisserie chickens and deli meat. Restaurant food or leftovers, homemade food, products from roadside stands or farms and poultry from backyard flocks are restricted.

Timing matters at land crossings. Early mornings are the best time to cross to avoid waits, and the Monday of holiday long weekends tends to be the busiest, according to the CBSA, which also warned that construction at the Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle port of entry in Quebec may cause higher than normal wait times. It suggests checking border wait times before setting out and comparing route options in navigation apps. Air travellers arriving at participating airports can file an Advance Declaration up to 72 hours before landing.

The CBSA added several reminders that apply year round. Adults travelling with children who are not their own, or for whom they do not have legal custody, should carry a consent letter from a parent or guardian. Taking cannabis across the border in any form without a permit or exemption authorized by Health Canada is a serious criminal offence, even though cannabis is legal in Canada, and a doctor’s prescription does not count as authorization. Travellers unsure what to declare can call the agency at 1-800-461-9999.

The border agency handles heavy traffic year round: in 2025 it welcomed more than 82 million travellers, stopped over 83,200 kilograms of illegal drugs from entering the country and kept more than 18,500 weapons and firearms off the streets, it said.

Sources: CHEK News (Oct. 7, 2026); Canada Border Services Agency advisory via Newswire (Oct. 6, 2026); Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Restrictions on poultry and birds from the United States.