Nearly 23,000 fewer people crossed the Canada-U.S. border from eastern Ontario to New York State in March, according to statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The drop in visitors comes amid the tariff war between Canada and the United States, the low Canadian dollar, and anger over U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about Canada becoming the 51st state.
The data shows there were 42,400 travellers entering the United States at the Alexandria Bay, New York crossing from eastern Ontario in March, down from 57,000 visitors in March 2024. The number of travellers at the border connecting Lansdowne, Ont. to New York State in February dropped from 46,000 in 2024 to 38,800 in 2025.
The Lansdowne-Alexandria Bay crossing is a popular destination for travellers heading from eastern Ontario to Watertown, Syracuse and Buffalo.
At the Ogdensburg, New York border crossing, there were 17,000 travellers entering the United States from eastern Ontario in March, down from 21,000 in March 2024. The number of travellers at the U.S. border dropped from 18,900 visitors in February 2024 to 16,600 in February 2025.
A total of 66,600 travellers crossed the U.S. border at Massena, New York from Cornwall and Akwesasne in March, down from 70,500 in March 2024. The number of travellers crossing the border in February dropped from 64,800 in 2024 to 57,800 in 2025.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows 4.1 million travellers crossed the Canada-U.S. border into the United States in March, down from 4.97 million in March 2024.
The number of travellers crossing the three border crossings from eastern Ontario to New York State in March was the lowest since 2022, when COVID-19 border measures were in place.
“Canadians returning by land and by air from the U.S., that’s both down year over year, especially for land, that’s down 31.9 per cent, so it’s pretty substantial,” said Keifer Van Mulligan, an economist with the Conference Board of Canada.
“We’ve seen reports from places like Maine and around the U.S. where Canadian tourists are very important for the American tourist economy. Business damage will happen but overall, it’s possible to recover.”
The three border crossings in eastern Ontario are the Ogdensburg-Prescott Border Crossing connecting Johnstown, Ontario and Ogdensburg, New York, the Lansdowne Port of Entry connecting Lansdowne, Ont. to Alexandria Bay, New York, and the Three Nations Bridge Crossing linking Akwesasne and Massena.
The drop in travellers from eastern Ontario to New York State comes as CHEO issues a warning for staff about travel to the United States.
Ottawa’s children’s hospital tells CTV News Ottawa it has issued a memo to staff to remind them about “best practices when travelling to the U.S.”
“With increased U.S. border scrutiny and evolving data security risks, we need to ensure the privacy and security of our patients’ sensitive health information and strictly adhere to the established protocols designed to safeguard patient data,” CHEO said.
“Our goal is to reinforce our steadfast commitment to maintaining the highest standards of patient privacy, trust, and regulatory compliance.”
Carleton University says it offers guidance to staff and students about travelling.
“Carleton University offers general guidance to help staff and students protect their data and research while travelling internationally,” the university said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa. “This includes best practices for navigating border crossings and securing devices.”
The federal government is reminding Canadians to take “normal security precautions” when travelling to the United States, and to expect scrutiny from border guards.
With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Tyler Fleming
