Thanks! If I have time on Monday night I might just do that, will save me having to hunt around in the US for a place to test.

Trip report:
* Dual citizen, so can enter the US without any issues.
* Pre-booked my Rapid Diagnostic Test (ID NOW) at Walgreen's 3 days before my trip (the system doesn't allow for earlier bookings). This test is NAAT.
* Left Canada for the US on Saturday, July 17th
* Test completed at 12:15 pm, results received in less than an hour
* Completed ArriveCAN, uploading the same PDF of the provincial vaccination certificate for each of the two doses
* Arrived at the border at about 2:45 pm on Monday, July 19th. No questions about the ArriveCAN receipt or vaccination status - the only question was whether I was able to show the results of my test, which I did on the phone (the officer took it into her hands to zoom in). Other standard border questions followed. The officer was super pleasant, professional, and noted that I still have to take the Day 1 test (this was post-announcement of upcoming changes). Handed the instructions for vaccinated travellers and the LifeLabs kit, asked to turn emergency flashers on and to proceed to the testing booth.
* As others reported, the registration process takes the longest. Why was it not possible to set it up for pre-registration is not clear, but there's so much information that could have been entered in advance, speeding up the process (notwithstanding that doing this on the phone in an area where the phone has a weak data connection as it's trying to switch from US towers to the Canadian ones). The test was significantly more invasive than the one at Walgreen's. The one at Walgreen's required moving the swab around the nostril for about 3-5 seconds. The one at the border, required 5 revolutions of the swab on each of the cheeks, followed by 15 revolutions in each of the nostrils.
* Left the testing centre around 3:30 pm. Results received around 9 pm on Tuesday, so just shy of 30 hours later.

Of note, the paperwork handed at the border doesn't say anything about self-isolating until Day 1 test results come back. The Canadian Red Cross official who was monitoring the test at the testing centre noted that I should isolate until the end of the day, but otherwise was good to go. Clearly, waiting until the end of the day would do absolutely nothing in terms of receiving either a negative or a positive test result (she noted that I should get it in 1-2 days), so clearly rules are being made on the fly.

Overall, a simple, yet somewhat surreal experience.

Update: doing the test before departing on a short international trip is not a viable plan. I was turned back at Ft. Erie with the border agent telling me that the test had to be done in the US. So I drove to the Buffalo airport where a local lab is doing a roaring business catering to Canadians by providing quick-turnaround (30 mins) tests acceptable to the Canadian authorities. It only cost US$225 which was a bargain compared to the C$6,250 fine they were going to slap me with as the price for re-entering Canada without a recent negative test result from the US.

I would love to see a Cdn covid test within 72 hours not holding up in court.

He was driving. I think it is pretty clear that a test to cross the land border must be taken in the US.

If you're driving to land border crossing, you must take a test in the United States within 72 hours of your planned entry into Canada.

Makes zero sense that a dual citizen goes to the US to get gas for 5 minutes and cannot use a Cdn covid test to get back when 30 seconds after driving into Canada he will have to take a Cdn covid test at the border that is acceptable.

Since when did the government's handling of the pandemic make a lot of sense? In my book, since about the middle of last year.

If they're going to require a PCR test within 72 hours of returning to Canada, it only makes sense to require that the test be done in the US, even if the trip there is less than 72 hours. In my case though, that meant getting tested twice within an hour, once at the Buffalo airport and then again at the Fort Erie point of entry. With a recent negative test result in hand it makes little sense to re-test at the border. See above comment.

Yes, I think it has been discussed many times in this thread that land entry requires US test. Air entry does not. And at the end of the day, it would always be wise to fact check comments from random internet strangers against the official sources. Nonetheless, sorry to hear that Siempre Viajando experienced some inconvenience because of misunderstanding the requirements.

Well, when you are Always Traveling, you are bound to make a mistake now and then ;)

It was less a case of misunderstanding than it was wishful thinking. I had very little time in the US and what I had, I didn't want to use up hunting around Baltimore and Washington for a walk-in test. So I thought I would try to beg my way back across the border. But that was to no avail: I was informed in no uncertain terms that if I didn't have a recent test in the US, I was going to pay a fine of C$6,250. Good luck fighting that in court!

I swear, that walk-in lab at the Buffalo airport must be a gold mine. I wouldn't be entirely surprised if some very good friend of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is an equity partner in it...

Was wondering if anyone who is familiar with crossing from Buffalo area into Ontario at Peace/Rainbow/L-Q bridges might have any insight into what to expect on August 9th once land border reopens. Planning to cross by car some time that day and was hoping for some insight on best place to cross, best time, reducing wait time and what you think lineup time might look like in general. thanks

Not sure if the nexus lanes will be reopening but in the olden pre-covid days Fort Erie was the quickest as the tourists all take NF/QL. But Fort Erie is 20 minutes out of the way if coming from Buf airport/suburbs. Try to go between 12:01 and 7am.

Unpredictable at the best of times. If you have Nexus, use the dedicated Whirlpool Bridge. Easy and always reasonably quick. Do this even if a few min out of your way. It’s between the Rainbow and Lewiston Bridges. You will need to have $ loaded on your Nexus card for the toll. No toll Canada to US. Not sure where in the Buffalo area you are coming from but your goal is to get to the Grand Island Bridge and head towards Niagara Falls (actual falls). You will need to go thru “downtown” such as it is. There’s a road from the Rainbow Bridge right along the river that takes you directly to the Nexus Bridge. Maybe a 5 min drive. A couple of months ago there was construction in the area. Not sure if it’s done but could slow you up briefly.

There's a website that you can consult for real-time crossing info. I don’t remember the URL but search Niagara Bridge Commission. You can also call them (# on their website) and ask about what times of day are less busy.

Keep in mind that CBSA is in a legal strike position from 6 August. Who knows what the impact will be. Most definitely, longer wait times.

Simplest/cheapest Covid test for crossing land border?
 

Planning on driving from the US to Canada next month. I understand that I need a Covid test before arrival. I've heard that there are some self-tests you can get at US pharmacies that are accepted. Is that true? Are they typically covered by insurance? If not, what is the cost? And are there other easy/cheap options I should consider instead?

Yes, it is true that you can get free PCR tests at many pharmacies. Most are drive-thru testing centers. The cost is covered by the US government as long as you don’t have insurance. Read this thread and others and you’ll find all the info you need.