Canadian 3-day weekend means more border traffic

Expect heavy border traffic this weekend as most Canadians celebrate a three-day weekend.

The first Monday in August is a civic holiday in most provinces. It’s officially called British Columbia Day in that province, but it’s commonly referred to as the August Long Weekend.

It’s usually the most popular weekend in Canada for summer travel, so expect busy roads and booked hotels if you’re headed there. It’s also Pride weekend in Vancouver, with more than 600,000 people expected to attend events.

Most Canadian banks, schools, government offices and related businesses will be closed Monday, Aug. 3. Most retail stores and restaurants will be open. If you’re headed to Canada Monday, call ahead to check the status of any place you plan to go.

A long Canadian weekend also means more shoppers at Bellingham-area stores, though the weakened loonie has kept many of them from venturing here.

For border traffic information, go to wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/border.

This story was originally published July 30, 2015 at 5:10 AM with the headline "Canadian 3-day weekend means more border traffic."