CALGARY -- U.S. motorists visiting Canada will soon be able to flash a high-tech identity card when they return to the U.S. -- but it remains to be seen if Canada will follow suit with a similar program.
On the first day of mandatory passports for flights between the two countries, U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins said in Calgary yesterday the card will be available as early as this summer.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is creating a wallet-sized card that features long-range radio frequency technology linked to a U.S. government database, Wilkins told the Calgary Sun editorial board.
"It would have a frequency chip in it so as you approach the border, that picks up and your name comes up on the screen with your identifying information," he said. "Hopefully, it will facilitate passage of entry into the U.S."
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day's office is negotiating with the U.S. to approve "alternative documents" at border crossings, said spokeswoman Melisa Leclerc.
She pointed to an enhanced driver's licence as a possible option.
"We want to ensure that there's a legitimate flow of travellers and (that) goods can cross the border easily," she said.
Meanwhile, it was a smooth transition in Calgary yesterday to the new U.S. air travel rules that require passengers to and from the States to flash a passport, said Calgary Airport Authority spokesman Bryce Paton.
"Reports from U.S. Border Protection Service is that it was a very routine morning, nobody denied travel."
