WINNIPEG – Spring break is finally here but the US border lineups sure don’t look like it.
All four lanes at the Pembina border crossing opened over the weekend and while traffic was similar to last year, there were visibly less cars.
According to US border officials, 300 to 400 vehicles cross the border on an average spring day.
Those numbers usually double during spring break, with roughly 1,000 cars passing through daily, and about 1,500 on Friday night and Saturday.
But regular cross-border shoppers like Heather Campbell are now making fewer trips and spending less money in Grand Forks because of the lower dollar.
“Last time I went the dollar was almost at par… so I don’t know if I’ll be buying much,” said Campbell. “When I went to the bank I took out 60 Canadian and I got 46 American back.”
And Winnipeg businesses are already seeing a significant increase in customer traffic and sales.
“It certainly makes sense to shop local as well as you’re saving a lot of money on gas and the trip itself,” said Tania Parlo of Distant Caravan’s boutique at The Forks.
Meaning it could be a busy week in Winnipeg with more families, staying home for spring break.
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