Maybe this will help?

Common Food Products Allowed into Canada:

• Dairy Products: up to 20 kgs (44 lbs). Please not that quantities in excess of $20 may be subject to HIGH duty rates.
• Fish and Seafood: all species except pufferfish and Chinese mitten crab
• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: one bag up to 4kgs (8.8 lbs) of US #1 potatoes/person in a commercial package, 15 packages or less up to 250 kgs (550 lbs) of fresh fruits and vegetables per person (excluding potatoes), restrictions on some fresh fruit and vegetables from California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
• Frozen or Canned Fruits and Vegetables: Fruits - up to 15 frozen packages or 15 cans per person, but not more than 250 kgs (550 lbs), Vegetables - up to 20 kgs (44 lbs) of frozen vegetables per person
• Dried Fruits and Vegetables Including Herbs: Up to 15 packages per person, but not more than 250 kgs (550 lbs)
• Spices, Tea, Coffee: Permitted
• Meat and Poultry Products (Jerky, sausages, deli meats and patties, fois gras): Up to 20 kgs (44 lbs)/person, packaging must have identifying marks, indicating what the product is, proof of country of origin may be required. Raw or uncooked poultry are not allowed at this time.
• Meat and Poultry Products (Fresh, frozen and Chilled): Up to 20 kgs (44 lbs)/person, packaging must have identifying marks, indicating what the product is, proof of country of origin may be required. Raw or uncooked poultry are not allowed at this time.

I don't see booze on that list!!!!

We have more trouble bringing things back to the US! A bag of clementines was confiscated. Can't bring apples into Michigan from Canada, either. (Same trip when we shared a ferry with a full garbage truck. Go figure.) When you cross in, just say you have snacks and a picnic lunch. But be honest if you're bringing liquor.

Thanks for that list...I had found that...it says dairy allowed, but other sites say no milk! Very confusing. I'd love to have some hard boiled eggs, but apparently those are forbidden?! I did miss the coffee allowed when I looked earlier, so that's good. Maybe I'll just take some soy milk to put in it instead of dairy milk.

And I can't seem to find specific fruit info, but I guess I can assume anything that's grown here in WA is also grown in BC, so likely forbidden to cross (even though there may be adjoining orchards at the border some places.)

Oh, and Fori, I did find that I can take 2 bottles of wine and 24 cans of beer. I won't drink when I take care of my grandson, but the friends I'm meeting (from another part of the US) will enjoy some of their favorite NW wines and beer that I'll bring from home. I'm sure they'll try some local ones, too.

Go to the Duty Free for booze!! Good selection and prices.

OMG, my favorite thing that is available in Canada only we get at the Duty Free is a Mike's Hard Lemonade (of all things) that is vodka based vs. malt based like in the U.S. Those are so good with the vodka. My sister brought us some when they met us in Baltimore a few weeks ago. They put some in their checked bags.

Where are you crossing in to Canada? We have never had trouble. We nearly always bring the limit of alcohol and declare it, and the rest is no problem at all. They never check going in. Only the US checks coming back to US, and we get the impression it's more fruit coming in to Michigan than anything else. We cross over in Michigan/Ontario.

Oh my! I had no idea that there are those restrictions..... other than the time I brought foie gras in from France in a jar instead of a can (they did let me through though). Is it because I'm Canadian? Where are you crossing?

Teehee, Oly! I'll probably be hitting BC with my parents by ferry next week. I'll let them make the box-to-bottle calculations for the wine. :) We travel classy!

I'm crossing from Pt Angeles WA by ferry to Victoria BC. And unfortunately (for me, bad planning) it's a BC Holiday, so things will be crazy. Would like to avoid having to shop for groceries when I get there. Go right to the hotel and leave the car until it's time to come home!

We might see ya!

(Note to self: look up Canadian holidays cuz you know Mom won't.)

Fori, I'll look for someone with forum disappointment in her eyes. I guess it's just a BC hoiday...BC Day, not a nationwide holiday.

I live fairly close to the US border and it's very common for Canadians to grocery shop in the US. I do it myself fairly often - I might not do my entire grocery order but there are some products we like that aren't available in Canada, some things are cheaper (cheese), etc. Dairy - milk especially - is probably the #1 thing people cross the border to buy. Cheese would likely be a close second. I know that some products have limits as to the quantity you can bring, but I can't think of any specifically banned common items that I've come across (except poultry products during the avian flu episode). And most generally they don't ask any details about what I have - we declare $80 in groceries or whatever, and we're on our way. Like BPathome says - we're asked more questions about fruit & vegetables, etc. going INTO the US than coming back into Canada - my in-laws have had apples confiscated when entering into the US.

I hesitated to say anything because I'm not entirely sure if the rules are different for me crossing into Canada with groceries because I'm Canadian. When we came home from Maine on the week-end, there were plenty of campers and travel trailers crossing into Canada - I can't imagine that most didn't have coolers or fridges containing food with them??

August 6th is a holiday across most of Canada (except Newfoundland and Labrador: their holiday is a week earlier) but it's only BC day in British Columbia. The other provinces just have a different name for the holiday, but most people refer to it as the August long weekend.

Here's the official website. It's easy to follow and easy to read and has any pertinent links that you may need.

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/information-for-consumers/travellers/what-can-i-bring-into-canada-/eng/1389648337546/1389648516990

You're coming into my neck of the woods. Enjoy your time! For long weekends if people are travelling they will have done their grocery shopping on Thursday or Friday. Monday is the holiday.

Thanks for that link - I've looked at it over and over (found it when searching myself) and Maddie copied from it, I believe. I realized I was confused because part way down the list, it switches to items allowed from other countries (not the US) and says milk is prohibited:

Dairy products

• cheese:
  • up to 20 kilograms per person
  • Please note that quantities in excess of $20.00 may be subject to high rates of duty. The CBSA is responsible for determining customs and duties for items coming into Canada.

These items are not allowed

• milk
• milk products (whey, cream, skim milk, butter oil, and so on)
• in these forms: dried, frozen, reconstituted, or fresh

I didn't notice the heading change so was VERY confused! Now I think I have it straight. I tried to follow the link to inside the link to get specific fruit and vegetable info, but it's impossible to use (at least from my Mac). I'll just not spend $10 on organic cherries and risk having to discard them. I'll put some raisins and dried apples in his pack. I realized I'll want to go to the grocery anyway before we leave so I can get some Sultanas and Ketchup flavored potato chips to bring back for my friends!

I forgot to bring back Kraft peanut butter, for my friend whose DH works for Kraft USA but we don't have their PB here!

bp, that's funny...I wonder if they use USA grown peanuts to make it?!

You will have no trouble finding fresh, in season fruits and veggies in grocery stores in Victoria, organic or otherwise. Depending the day you are travelling, look out for a farmers market or maybe a roadside stand? Enjoy Victoria. It is a gorgeous city.

Thanks colduphere. I just was hoping to avoid going to a grocery store the minute we hit town to make sure he's got food. But I think it's not going to be as complicated to carry what we need as I first thought. I've been to Victoria many, many times, but it will be his first visit and he's a bit of an Anglophile, so he'll love the architecture and other British touches.

I had to chuckle... my sister in b-ham is forever complaining about the canucks at costco, buying up milk and other goods (esp when the exchange rate was better). Enjoy the trip to Victoria, I've taken that ferry and have fond memories.

Yes, when I lived near B'ham, it was always filled with Canadians shopping. I'm sure the border towns on the Canadian side have the same feeling of being overrun by tourists from USA. But I love Canada and Canadians in general, so am looking forward to being there!