5 February 2010
Lynden Port of Entry Opening at 5 a.m. for Olympics
Beginning Friday, February 5 through Sunday, February 28 southbound traffic lanes at the Lynden Port of Entry will open at 5 a.m. daily instead of at 8 a.m. for passenger and commercial traffic into the United States. This is three hours earlier than the normal opening time of 8 a.m.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will return to regular hours of 8 a.m. to midnight Monday March 1. The port will continue to close at midnight during the temporary early opening dates.

Travelers are reminded that the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) implemented on June 1, 2009 requires U.S. and Canadian citizens age 16 and older to present a valid, acceptable document that denotes both identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. by land or sea. WHTI approved travel documents include a passport, U. S. passport card, enhanced driver’s license (now produced by the states of Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington, and the Provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec) or a Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST). For more information, visit http://www.GetYouHome.gov.

CBP also wants to remind U.S. lawful permanent residents that the I-551 form (green card) is acceptable for land and sea travel into the U.S.

2 February 2010
Vice President Biden, Dr. Jill Biden to Lead U.S. Delegation to Opening Weekend of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. [Text]

31 January 2010
Black History Month in Vancouver
Black History Month in Vancouver was launched (a day early January 31) with an art exhibit by local African Canadians at the Museum of Vancouver. The show was complemented by a poster show illustrating African-American contributions to the arts.

Close ties of the African-Canadian and African-American communities was underscored by a portrait of U.S. President Barrack Obama at the entryway and by works such as Garett Campbell-Wilson's portrait of heroes which includes images of President Obama and Martin Luther King (accompanying photo). Speakers at the museum event remarked on how weakly reflected the African Diaspora is weakly in local artistic representation. The show at MOV will continue through February.

Photos of the exhibit can be seen on U.S. Consulate General Vancouver's FlickR site.

As part of Black History Month, Gospel Explosion-An Evening of Music preceded by A Taste of the Caribbean 'N' Africa Too, will take place February 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. for African Food and 6 to 8 p.m. for Gospel music, at Bonsor Recreation Centre, 6550 Bonsor Avenue, Burnaby.

28 January 2010
IVLP Alumnus helps boost First Nations profile for 2010 Winter Olympics
As part of the flurry of preparations to welcome the world to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, the 12-meter canoe Raven’s Song was hoisted to the second-floor lobby of the Pan Pacific Hotel January 26 to be centerpiece for a First Nations culture display.

Helping to hoist the canoe created by Bill Helin of the Tsimshian Nation was Bill’s cousin, Calvin Helin, who is an alumnus of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors Leadership Program.
(Calvin is dressed in blue behind the chef.) Calvin Helin is founding president of the Native Investment and Trade Organization and participated in a State Department program to examine Pacific Rim Trade, Investment and Cooperation.

19 January 2010
Live in the Pacific Northwest and Going to the Olympics? Don’t Forget Your Passport
The Seattle Passport Agency offers help and advice for obtaining travel documentation needed to travel to Canada for the Olympics and beyond. Click here for information.

17 December 09
Construction work on the new Peace Arch Border Station will be suspended during the 2010 Winter Olympics to provide easier traffic flow for visitors to the Games Officials from the U.S. General Services Administration and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) service said at a December 15 press conference that 10 primary inspection booths will be open during the Olympics and border station staffing will be bumped up by 20 per cent to accommodate traffic levels of 12,000 vehicles a day. That would be comparable to a busy summer day. The ten lanes will include a "trusted traveler" NEXUS lane. Additional booths were open at the Lynden and Sumas, Washington, crossings in August, 2009, in preparation for the Olympic Games as well. [more]  See our photos of the border station under construction and renderings of the completed station.

2 December 09
Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre
Ambassador Jacobson paid a courtesy call on First Nations hosts of the Olympic Games as he visited the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre (SLCC) in Whistler on December 2. The Ambassador was welcomed to the SLCC by hereditary Chief Gibby Jacob, and was treated to performances of traditional Squamish and Lil'wat singing and dances by members of both groups. Ambassador Jacobson remarked on the significance of the games being held on the traditional lands of the two First Nations. Photo by Logan Swayze, coastphoto.com.

2 December 09
Ambassador Jacobson Visits Whistler Olympic Competition Venues
Ambassador David Jacobson visited Whistler on his recent trip to British Columbia. He got a first-hand look at the Olympic venues for many of the games' outdoor events, including the ski jumping, biathlon and bobsledding sites. With considerable snow already on the ground at Whistler Olympic Park, and practice bobsled runs being made by athletes at the Whistler Sliding Centre, the excitement of the upcoming games was already palpable. 'I am excited about coming back to Vancouver in February to attend the Olympics,' said the Ambassador.

1 December 09
A New Way Forward - The President's Address
The President has outlined his strategy on Afghanistan and Pakistan from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.: "The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 – the fastest pace possible – so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They will increase our ability to train competent Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.” [read transcript or watch video] [fact sheet]

December 09
Pathways to Prosperity Success Story
The smart-looking little shop in Richmond Centre Mall with designer jeans splashed with glitter, streaked with color, and studded with metal is the business venture dream of proprietress Rocio Garcia, self-proclaimed Queen of Jeans.
Ms. Garcia says she received a helping hand in her new venture Queen of Jeans from her participation in a U.S. State Department program, “Pathways to Prosperity,” for Western Hemisphere Spanish-speaking women entrepreneurs. More

30 November 09
Ambassador Jacobson addresses Vancouver Board of Trade
The United States' new ambassador to Canada was introduced to Vancouver's business community at a Vancouver Board of Trade luncheon November 30 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Ambassador David Jacobson underlined to about 160 attendees how President Barack Obama is intent on achieving economic recovery. The President's economic goals were mentioned in the context of his recent trip to Asia to develop and strengthen alliances with Asian nations, and in relation to steps being taken to help boost the number of jobs in both Canada and the U.S. [more].

15 October, 09
Dr. Karim Ahmed Dr. Karim Ahmed, director of international programs at the National Council for Science and the Environment in Washington, D.C., paid a special visit to Masjid Al Salaam (Burnaby Mosque) September 30 while on a State Department-sponsored cross-country speaking tour on climate change. Dr. Ahmed is an expert on the impacts of climate change on human health [more].

15 October, 09
Consul General Phil Chicola talks to Bill on The Bill Good Show CG Phil Chicola appeared on the September 15, 2009 edition of the 'The Bill Good Show’, broadcasted on CKNW, the highest-rated talk show station in Vancouver, BC. The station's content is based on news and current events, therefore the CG answered questions about current CA-US border, trade, economy and health care issues. Phil Chicola also took the opportunity to introduce to the listeners our new American Ambassador to Canada, Mr. David Jacobson. Read Ambassador’s blog here. The show debuted with part of a song by Canadian band The Abrams Brothers, to honor the memory of American journalist and musician Daniel Pearl, promoting harmony for humanity during the Daniel Pearl World Music Days. here .

14 October, 09
America's representatives in British Columbia, Consul General Phil Chicola, Deputy Consul Kathleen Hill and Public Affairs Officer Charles Smith, were on-hand for the Vancouver Aquarium's designation. The ceremony recognizes the Vancouver Aquarium as a trendsetter in research and as an institution that 'walks the walk' in practicing what it preaches about caring for the environment. Illustrating the cross-border and inter-jurisdictional importance of the Learning Center designation, officials from the B.C. Parliament, Coastal America Partnership, NOAA, the EPA, and many others were also present. See other pictures here .

12 October 09
The Official Celebration: Second Amtrak train between Vancouver and Seattle
British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell and Washington Governor Chris Gregoire were part of the October 12 official celebration of the new second Amtrak train travelling between Vancouver and Seattle. Deputy Consul General Kathleen Hill from U.S. Consulate General Vancouver also attended. Photos.  Special Amtrak discounts to and from Vancouver.

5 – 7 October, 09
Officials from the consulate traveled to the Yukon Territory to renew ties with government, cultural and academic institutions in the area. The consulate’s Public Affairs Officer and Public Affairs Assistant spent two days in meetings with key figures in Whitehorse, touching on topics such as climate change, education, museum curatorship and secure energy. For additional information and photographs of the visit, click here .

18 September 09
Lecture on energy security at the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS)
The Public Affairs section organized a lecture on energy security at the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) within University of Victoria. British Columbia has long been at the forefront of Canada’s ‘green’ movement, enthusiastically welcomed environmental expert Linda Mesaros.

This activity is part of the large joint effort that the US and Canada make in order to provide a safer future to the next generations. The Canadian audience was clearly curious, and invited Ms. Mesaros to share her extensive experience in the environmental and energy areas. The valuable information she provided about government-led implementation of green procurement programs, contract templates, building community awareness, all resonated with the Canadian audience. For Ms. Mesaros’ presentation follow the PICS website pics.uvic.ca or click here After Victoria, Public Affairs section brought environment and energy speaker Linda Mesaros to the University of British Columbia to address the Student Business Club. The talk highlighted the role of government as an instrument of positive social change in implementing and carrying out environmental policy. [listen to podcast] [view photos on FlickR]

17 September 09
Consul General Phil Chicola appeared on the September 17, 2009 edition of 'BC Almanac'.
Consul General Phil Chicola appeared on the September 17, 2009 edition of 'BC Almanac,' a province-wide radio talk show covering much of British Columbia. The CG was the subject of a wide-ranging, thirty-minute interview on one of the province's most-listened-to radio talk shows. Thanks to the format of the show, which allows listeners to call in and ask questions, the CG had the opportunity to reach Canadians and Americans living all across the province. He addressed a broad range of host- and caller-provided questions. Topics included trade, dual citizenship, border crossing and border security, the broader bilateral relationship, 'Buy America.' The CG fielded questions from listeners in West Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Kootenay, and other locations knowledgeably and with his characteristic charm and professionalism. See picture here .

16 September 09
US Consulate General’s staff went on a tour of the Olympic Oval in Richmond.
US Consulate General’s staff went on a tour of the Olympic Oval in Richmond. The Oval will be the site of numerous events during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Many of the Olympic skating events will take place here. To find out more about the Oval, click here. View photos on FlickR .

Northbound Lanes of Interstate 5 At Peace Arch Land Port of Entry Officially Open Wednesday, September 2.
The official opening of the long-awaited new north-bound lanes of U.S. Interstate-5 in Blaine connecting to the Canadian border is on September 2. However, travelers and commuters will be happy to know those lanes are unofficially open for use now. Not only is this section of the I-5 ready ahead of schedule, but travelers will be happy that the opening is in time for the Labor Day weekend.

For many months a series of detours have been in place because the I-5 north-bound lanes were removed to facilitate construction of the new U.S. border station at Peace Arch.

Speakers for the opening ceremony at 11 a.m. will include Robin G. Graf, acting regional administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration; Paula Hammond, Washington State Secretary of Transportation; Michele James, director of field operations, Customs and Border Protection and Bonnie Onyon, Mayor, City of Blaine.

27 August 09
U.S. Alternative Energy Specialist speaks at T’Sou-ke Nation, Vancouver Island
The T’Sou-ke Nation at the picturesque southern end of Vancouver Island hosted a gathering of local experts on alternative energy to meet with U.S. State Department speaker Carl “Rick” Schwerdtfeger. Schwerdtfeger, based in New Hampshire, has expertise in solar energy, LED materials and Smart Grid technology. The T’Sou-ke have the largest solar installation in B.C. [more] For more photographs of the T’Sou-ke event, please click the link.

26 August 09
Vancouver Consulate presents Astronaut food to H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
"This is our space food," said Lisa McIntosh, holding out a box of what seemed to be a sorry looking sample of trash. Samples of dried food, designed for astronauts in space, had discolored with age and lost their vacuum seals after being handled by hundreds of children over the past six years.

We have tried everything to get new space food and have run into dead-ends everywhere, said McIntosh, director of Learning at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre in Vanier Park.
U.S. Consulate General Vancouver made a call to NASA (U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and told the space food laboratory about the Space Centre's dilemma. Within a few weeks a whole new space meal arrived, including mac-and-cheese and candy.

Deputy Consul General Kathleen Hill officially presented the package to Space Centre executive director Rob Appleton on August 26. Before the presentation was completed, children were running up to finger the new food. Holding up a bag of gray mush, Cam Cronin who is in charge of public programming said the six-year-old sample of beef and broccoli wasn't much of an inspiration for kids to want to go up into space. [Slideshow]

17 August 09
First Nations Art displayed at US 2010 Olympic Coordination Office
In keeping with the 2010 Winter Olympics tribute to Canadian Aboriginal people, U.S. Consulate General Vancouver's Olympics Coordination Team has installed several art pieces representative of local cultures, in cooperation with Hill's Native Art gallery in Gastown.

Visitors to the U.S. 2010 office complex can feel the cultural spirit of Canada's First Nations and Inuit people in the surroundings of totem poles, prints, paintings, and carved masks and panels. [More/photos]

Click on the graphic above to get the latest information from the U.S. government.

Ambassador Jacobson Addresses Disaster in Haiti.

HAITI EARTHQUAKE – INFORMATION FOR AMERICANS

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.

USCIS Launches Immigration Inquiry Mailbox for Canadians
WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has created of a general inquiry mailbox for customers in Canada. Currently Canadians cannot access the National Customer Service Center through the 1-800 number to ask about general immigration questions. Canadian customers may now inquire about general immigration information at USCIS.Canada@dhs.gov in addition to obtaining immigration information at www.uscis.gov.

The creation of this mailbox signifies a major step in USCIS’ outreach to Canadians since the dissolution of the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) Ottawa office in 2003. ¬For more information on USCIS and its programs, visit www.uscis.gov.

U.S. Consulate General Vancouver Closure Notice
Please be advised that the consular section will be closed to the public on the third Wednesday of every month for staff development. This includes the visa unit, american citizen services and notarial services. No items will be available for pick up.
Services will resume the next business day.
If there is an Emergency regarding a U.S. Citizen please call 604-685-4311.
We regret any inconvenience.
PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

SECURITY NOTICE TO ALL CONSULAR VISITORS.

April 2009: Ask The Consulate - ON THE BRIDGE: An Intern’s Experience at the US Consulate General Vancouver Sitting at my desk on the 22nd floor, high above the hustle and bustle of Vancouver’s downtown core, I gaze out my window onto the snow-capped North Shore mountains, Lions Gate Bridge and Stanley Park, and think, I could get used to life as an intern. I am an intern at the US Consulate General Vancouver and a Canadian citizen nonetheless. Interns are stereotypically looked upon as the coffee maker or Xerox guru. Despite being proficient at both tasks, my time at the US Consulate has been anything but ordinary. [Read More].

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] .

Department of Homeland Security
Traveler Redress Inquiry Program
Travelers can now resolve possible watch list misidentification and travel screening problems with any of the department’s component agencies with DHS TRIP, an easy to use web site.

Rewards for Jusitce
Help the U.S. government stop terrorism.

Softwood Lumber

Trafficking in Persons

Environmental Issues

Employment and Student Opportunities the U.S. Consulate Vancouver

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