Have No ID? Won’t Travel!

The effects of 9/11 are still being felt - and close to home at that. The news this week reported 4 hour line-ups at the local passport offices as a January 23^rd moratorium on air travel to the US without proper ID draws near.

Already stories are coming out of artists being turned away at the border and event organizers are having to seriously look at formal ways of dealing with the issue – like providing letters of introduction and contacting Customs officials beforehand.

Many artists, especially performers, rely on the US and it’s substantial population for a regular source of revenue.

While travellers are presently still allowed to drive across the border, that too will change before summer so artists would be well-advised to start the application process now if they don’t want to be trapped “in country”. The Passport Canada website predicts a 3 to 4 week wait for delivery, but considering what the papers are saying, expect even longer waits.

Here’s the Passport Canada website: http://www.pptc.gc.ca/. You can register online. A passport will run you from $87-$92 if you are an adult.