Canadian, U.S. border officials extend operating days for northernmost crossing

By James Brooks, Alaska Beacon April 30, 2024
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A Whitehorse resident wears a Canadian flag in her hair during the annual Canada Day parade on July 1, 2023, in Whitehorse, Yukon. (Photo by James Brooks)
A Whitehorse resident wears a Canadian flag in her hair during the annual Canada Day parade on July 1, 2023, in Whitehorse, Yukon. (Photo by James Brooks)

The international border crossing on the Top of the World Highway will be open from May 17 through Sept. 15, Canadian and American border officials announced Thursday.

The crossing, the northernmost in North America, will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Alaska time, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Yukon time, daily.

The new operating dates mean the crossing, which closes each winter, is open four weeks longer than in 2023, but not as long as before the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.

The crossing was closed in 2020 and 2021 before reopening in 2022 with reduced operating hours and a shorter calendar: In that year and last year, the crossing didn’t open until June 1 and closed Sept. 1.

Before the pandemic, the crossing was open until 9 p.m. Yukon time and didn’t close for the winter until the third week of September.

Speaking to the Yukon News last week, Dawson City Mayor Bill Kendrick said the extended opening schedule is good news for a community that suffered economic consequences from the shorter schedule, and he hopes that future years will see a return to the pre-pandemic schedule.

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