The May long weekend is upon us and many residents of Alberta are heading into the great outdoors to enjoy provincial parks and recreation areas.

However, before you head out on the weekend, officials say there are a number of things that should be kept in mind:

  • Vacancies are still available. You can quickly and easily find a spot by checking Reserve.AlbertaParks.ca and going to their vacancy calendar. Reservations can also be made over the phone by calling Alberta Parks at 1-877-537-2757.
  • Liquor bans and fire bans could be in effect at some campgrounds, so make sure you’re informed.
  • All of Alberta Parks’ day use areas are free, but the facilities and services at each one varies significantly.

There are almost 14,000 campsites in 250 provincial campgrounds, with at least one park or recreation area within an hour’s drive of every community in the province.

For those looking to head out across the border this long weekend, the Canada Border Services Agency is expecting much higher than usual traffic at border crossings, particularly at Coutts.

The CBSA says that Coutts, located about an hour southeast of Lethbridge, is open 24/7 and will have all inspection lanes open to deal with the high volume of travellers.

There are some things you can do to beat the rush and smooth your cross too:

  • Cross at a non-peak time - try to plan crossing early in the morning, especially on Sunday or Monday.
  • Always keep travel documents ready – make sure you and everyone travelling with you possess the proper travel documents. A passport is the best to use in this case.
  • Be informed about your purchases – if you or your family made purchases, including sent gifts or made repairs or upgrades to vehicles, you will need to declare these items to officials. All travellers are entitled to exemptions, but make sure you’re not bringing back anything you shouldn’t.
  • Know the contents of your vehicles – you must tell the CBSA officer about any organic material you could be bringing back into the country.
  • If you’re not sure, it’s always best to check – if you are open and honest with the CBSA officer dealing with your case, then everything should go off without a hitch and you’ll be on your way home in no time.

For information on items that you should not bring across the border, please visit the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s website.

For more travel tips and a tool to check on current border wait times, visit the CBSA website.