Welcome to the Southwest Ontario Gateway Virtual Presence Post
The United States Mission in Canada is pleased to announce the launch of its fourth Virtual Presence Post (VPP). Our newest VPP for Southwest Ontario highlights the importance of this region to the United States and to U.S./Canada relations. Through this web site, we hope to build upon the region’s existing relationship and forge an even stronger partnership. The U.S. Mission had a Consulate in Windsor, Ontario from 1864 to 1970 and in Port Sarnia/Sarnia from 1864 to1933 and again from 1940 to 1948. We view this new VPP as a 21st century diplomatic tool that will allow us to strengthen our connections to this region.

Consulate Closure Notice
Please be advised that the U.S. Consulate in Toronto will be closed on Friday July 4, to observe Independence Day.

18 June 08
U.S. Consul General John R. Nay joined the Hon. Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities; Hon. Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety; and Jeffrey Watson, Member of Parliament for Essex-Windsor for the Canadian announcement of the technically preferred location of the plaza and the bridge for the new border crossing bridge between Windsor and Detroit on June 18, 2008. Consul General Nay stated that "the United States, like Canada, supports projects such as the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) to improve infrastructure in the corridor and make sure that there is the capacity to handle increased trade and traffic"
[Read Full Remarks].

10 June 08 At a Rotary Luncheon in Niagara Falls, Ontario, the International Joint Commission and the Niagara 10 Leaders announced preliminary details for plans for the Niagara Falls region to host the centennial celebration of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 on Saturday June 13, 2009. The region is designating 2009 as the "Year of Our Shared Waters" and has numerous activites planned to comemorate this important environmental agreement.
[Click for More].

22 April 08
In celebration of Earth Day 2008, the Battle Creek Academy Band, from Battle Creek, Michigan, has taken Toronto by musical storm. Noting that these were the first international performances by the group, Battle Creek Academy alumnus Consul General John R. Nay introduced the band and spoke of the importance of Earth Day. In a display of cross-border friendship, the 54 high school students played for hundreds at the Toronto Zoo's Earth Day commemoration, performed a pre-game show when the Detroit Tigers faced the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre, and entertained the students at Toronto's Carleton Village Public School. For a slide show of the visit, click here.

27 March 08
John Austin, University of Michigan Professor and Senior Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution, visited Toronto to present the Metropolitan Policy Program's latest analysis, "The Vital Connection: Reclaiming Great Lakes Economic Leadership in the Bi-National U.S.-Canadian Region" to a variety of audiences.The report shows how the region, comprised of the U.S. states bordering the Great Lakes, the upper Mississippi and Ohio watersheds, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, can continue to model what economic regions will look like in the global economy—and also how they can thrive. To read the full report, click here.

10 March 08
The International Joint Commission of Canada and the United States announced that the Centennial Celebration of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 and the Creation of the Commission will be held in Niagara Falls in June of 2009. For more on the centennial celebration click here .

03 March 08
Mercedes Stephenson hosted Consul General John Nay on The URC Investigates which airs on the iChannel. The topic of the hour-long discussion was a look at how Americans who live and work in Canada view their adopted home. Other panelists on the show were Kelli Wight from Republicans Abroad and Toby Condliffe from Democrats Abroad.

21 February 08
The Michigan Department of Transportation is accepting comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement / 4(f) Evaluation for the Detroit River International Crossing through April 29, 2008. To read the draft report and file a comment, click here.

15 May 07
On May 15, U.S. Consul General John R. Nay and Windsor, Ontario Mayor Eddie Francis completed their NEXUS Card application process at the NEXUS enrollment center at the U.S. immigration plaza at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit. Text of the Consul General’s remarks. More on the NEXUS program.

Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), for entry into the United States at land or sea borders, as of January 31, 2008:
- Oral declarations of citizenship alone will no longer be accepted;
- U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 19 and older will need to present a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate;
- Children ages 18 and under will only be required to present proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate;
- Passports and trusted traveler program cards - NEXUS, FAST, and SENTRI - will continue to be accepted for cross-border travel. All existing nonimmigrant visa and passport requirements will remain in effect and will not be altered by this change. A passport has been required for air travel since January 23, 2007. [read more on WHTI]
NEW. Entry requirements at land or sea borders in effect June 1, 2009:
Washington -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced today the final rule for the land and sea portion of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a core 9/11 Commission recommendation. The WHTI final rule requires travelers to present a passport or other approved secure document denoting citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the United States. WHTI establishes document requirements for travelers entering the United States who were previously exempt, including citizens of the U.S., Canada and Bermuda. These document requirements will be effective June 1, 2009 [Press Release] [FAQs] .

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) jointly operate the NEXUS trusted traveler program. To learn more about NEXUS, enroll in the program online or renew an expiring NEXUS card, click here.

The Consulate is a proud co-sponsor of the Transborder Research University Network, supporting cooperation among research universities in the cross-border region of Ontario and New York. For more information visit www.trun.ca.

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