<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by LightingGuy:
When was Canada Immigration going to tell me that I needed this card to cross the border?</font>
That's undoubtedly the point... Immigration probably had no accurate record of landed immigrants / legal residents (i.e. no "alien registration"), so they couldn't mail out notices to individuals. It seems they had to start from scratch. As part of this, they ran some modest display ads in papers that could be easily missed.
In fairness, one Immigration official at YYZ told my wife that she would be needing a new card; however, that's one out of countless "re-entries," and we let him know how inefficient the entire system was.
As AC*SE pointed out, the emphasis is on re-entry by "commercial carrier:"
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/prcard.html
As of December 31, 2003, the PR card will be the required proof of status document for permanent residents re-entering Canada on a commercial carrier (airplane, boat, train or bus).
This may buy you some time, if necessary, but I would agree with AC*SE that it would be preferable to have the card in hand. I do predict, however, that it will be enough of a mess that your former documents will suffice until you can arrange your new card.
Incidentally, comments elsewhere to the contrary, my wife was
not offered an appointment in Victoria. The instructions are simply to appear at 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays.
Best of luck!
Cheers,
Fredd