The federal government is being urged to ease up on travel restrictions on Americans trying to cross the border with minor criminal convictions.
Currently someone with an old Driving While Impaired Charge can be prohibited entry into Canada.
Gerry Cariou is executive director of the Sunset Country Travel Association and says tourists can apply to have their record rehabilitated, but it can be a time consuming process.
“We need a better solution, perhaps, on processing of applications, if there’s going to be no adjustment to the admissability laws. Because, two years to process an application that is complete and simple is, in my opinion, unacceptable.”
Cariou suggests the loss of that tourist revenue has cost lodges millions of dollars over the years.
Americans being turned back at the border for minor criminal convictions is costing the tourism industry millions.
“That is the number one issue, still. Minor criminality–it’s not just DWI, it’s minor criminality–is having, still, a major impact on American travel to Canada.”
Cariou says US Citizans can apply to have their record “rehabilitated” but it can sometime take years for the application to be processed.