Canadian Border

This page focuses only on what you will need to cross the Canadian border, in the event that the situation escalates to the degree that flying is no longer an option for any reason.

Minimally Essential Documents

To travel to Canada you should have, at a minimum:

Passport
Driver's license

For awareness: it is worth looking into NEXUS (Canadian web page, US web page) or other preferred traveller programs if you are eligible. A NEXUS (currently) allows you preferred travel to Canada. The main caveat for NEXUS is that, historically and as of the writing of this page, you need to be interviewed by both US and Canada border guards and have a background check. Note that you can only cross the border via the NEXUS lane if all passengers in the vehicle have NEXUS. If you plan on making use of this, make sure that anyone you may need to cross the border with also has a NEXUS pass.

If you already have a NEXUS pass, it is worth making sure it is up to date and making sure you know when it expires.

Birth Certificate

You do not need a birth certificate to travel into Canada. That said, if you flee to Canada with the intent to stay, or are going to fly out of Canada to another country on your list for safety, then you should have your birth certificate as you will need it to start many processes relevant to immigration and visas. For this use case, your birth certificate will need to be apostilled.

This is a long way of saying: bring your birth certificate if you can, but do not delay going to the border if the situation becomes extreme and you need to flee without it. You can still get into Canada.

Plan to travel offline and without power

Things to print in advance:

Know the route from your home or any place(s) you are staying to the nearest border crossing and physically print the map(s). Print back up routes off main roads.
If you have people that you can stay with on the other side of the border physically print their address as well as the map to their address.
Print your full medical history, or as much as you have available to you. This is in case you need to go from having a temporary home in Canada to a more permanent one.

If you go to Canada to feel safe, but are not fleeing under duress (martial law, etc.) you can expect to be able to use your phone / GPS to get you to the border. That said, in the event that something goes haywire you'll be grateful for the maps.

Pack your go bag, today, as you are reading this page

The news cycle is rapidly evolving, but in a situation where you need to literally flee to the border you will not have time to pack a bag. Start packing that bag now. If you have a car, or know the car you will flee in, put the bag in the car now.

In you bag you should include:

All the documents mentioned above: passport, driver's license, birth certificate, maps, addresses, medical history.
Additionally pack any credit or debit cards.
Pack clothes and don't forget toiletries and essentials like undergarments, toothbrushes, soap, toothpaste, medications, etc.
1. When packing medications: some medications may be restricted / cannot be transported into Canada. Check all of your medications and make a plan.
Make and pack a minimal list of essentials for your mental health (touchstones). Cherished stuffie? Partner's hoodie? Pack all your survival things first, and then pack your touchstones.

Fleeing with pets

You can bring cats and dogs into Canada. If you have other pets, check Canada's documentation on traveling with pets. For dogs and cats, make sure you bring their medical records and in particular anything about their rabies and other vaccinations to show they're up to date.

Buy your plane ticket

If you are currently planning to go from the US to another country, but not necessarily Canada, buy a refundable plane ticket ASAP as your finances allow. These tickets are more expensive, but in the event that you need to flee from the US to Canada before going to your country of destination, this type of ticket will allow you to change your departure airport to whatever city you end up in.