Closure of U.S. land border may hamper Canadians' winter travel plans once again, experts say

With the United States' land border still closed to non-essential travel, experts say some Canadian snowbirds may be staying home for a second consecutive winter.

Oct. 21 is the deadline for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to declare whether it plans to ease these travel restrictions at the Canada-U.S. land border, or extend the prohibition for another 30 days.

No one knows for sure why the U.S. has kept the land border closed while Canadians can still fly into the country by air, but Toronto travel insurance broker Martin Firestone says he is telling his clients to have faith that it will reopen come October.

"There's going to be thousands and thousands of snowbirds that will for a second year in a row not find their way down south if it doesn't because it's going to curtail the season once again," Firestone told CTV News Channel on Wednesday.

As more Americans and Canadians get vaccinated, the Canadian Snowbirds Association (CSA) says it is hopeful the vast majority of snowbirds will be able to travel south this winter.