By Brian Schultz
Beginning June 1, anyone travelling by land or sea to/from the United States will need to produce a secure form of identification. Gone are the days when flashing your driver’s licence was all that was required.
On Monday you will need either a passport, NEXUS card or the new government-endorsed photo ID card. Wait times to get either a passport or ID card are not considerably long — the average being only 10-14 business days if you drop off your application in person.
However, according to one resident living in Niagara Falls, Ontario, she feels needing a passport to cross over into neighbouring New York state is absurd. Probably the most out of touch person a news network has ever interviewed, gave the following statement on Wednesday: “It’s just stupid. I go over there [the United States] to buy groceries sometimes. Why do I need a passport just to get groceries? The border guards know me and stuff… why can’t I just go in and out quick, ya know?” (insert laugh track here)
That statement pretty much reaffirms why passports are needed. What this woman fails to understand is that you’re crossing into another country. Ever heard of national security? It doesn’t matter if you stay near the border or not.
How can Manitobans get proper identification?
- Apply for the new photo ID card (easiest method)
- Apply for a passport (the most practical, as you also need one if you plan on flying anywhere)
- Apply for a NEXUS card (meant only for frequent travellers — mainly business-types)
