Dear Bird Talk, My name is Arthur Bugelli and I will be 82 years old in October. This is my situation. My female partner and I have been an item for 22 years. We never got married. Our families accept us as we are. When we first met, there was only one grandchild; now she has seven and I have five. All of our grandkids call us Grandpa and Grandma. Now that they are getting older, they are graduating, etc. Since I am only allowed 180/2 days in the states, I am missing a lot of the celebrations, etc. I spend the winter in Florida, so I don’t have any days that I can spend with them for any occasion. I wonder if you know of any place or department that I can apply to, to have some extra days added to the 180/2. Arthur Bugelli Whitby, ON Ed.: There is no procedure to permit someone to extend the time which one can spend in the United States as requested. There are procedures for emergency situations, but these are not relevant here. If you get married and hire an immigration lawyer, you could come and go as you please. Bird Talk Featuring the letters & concerns of our members SEND YOUR LETTERS TO Bird Talk, c/o CSANews 180 Lesmill Road Toronto, Ontario M3B 2T5 or by e-mail: csawriteus@snowbirds.org Bird Talk Dear Bird Talk, I want to purchase a car in Florida; do I need to obtain a Florida driver’s licence? Gilles St-Hilaire Lachine, QC Ed.: You do not need a Florida driver’s licence to purchase a vehicle, but you will have to shop around to obtain insurance.We have found that Allstate Insurance agents are quite capable of helping Canadian snowbirds obtain car insurance in the United States. They will recognize your Canadian driving record and insurance history, which will help you get the lowest price on your policy. Some of the other insurance companies which you see regularly advertising on television are a little more uneasy regarding Canadian driver’s licences. Dear Bird Talk, I amCanadian andmy husband is American. We have a mobile home in Florida. We are buying a car inMichigan, driving it to Florida and leaving it there. Should my name be on the vehicle as well? My husband and I will both be driving it. Your thoughts? Lorraine Zorzit-Heacock Sault Ste. Marie, ON Ed.: You don’t have to be on the title, but you should be listed as a driver on the insurance policy. Contact your insurance agent or broker in Ontario and get a copy of your Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) and an Experience Letter, so that your driving and insurance coverage experience will be recognized in the United States. Dear Bird Talk, I’m a CSAmember. I get every issue of CSANews. Let me get my two cents in on this “ArriveCAN app” issue. This regulation is right out of the Communist Manifesto if I’ve ever seen one. I am a Canadian Vietnam veteran who did four years in the U.S. Marine Corps during the 1960s. I did one tour of combat in Vietnam in 1965. I was the only Canadian in 1st Battalion 3rd Marine Division at that time. I was a cpl E4 weapons plt. Squad Leader. Our outfit was heavily sprayed with agent orange. I now have to go down to Great Falls, Montana once every year for an agent orange screening test, at the USAVeterans Clinic. I’m 81 years old, have never in my life been in trouble with the law. I got one speeding ticket 27 years ago. I have never owned a cell phone; I have never owned a computer. My choice. I have had all of my COVID-19 vaccinations plus two booster vaccinations. I went down for my tests in June 2022. Coming back, I showed all of my COVID-19 vaccination documents. The border officers toldme they would let me cross back into Canada this one time without the ArriveCAN app. But next time, without the ArriveCAN app, I will be punished by having to stay at home for 14 days or something like a $5,000.00 fine. Why is our government trying to make me into a criminal? I am an honorable senior and a veteran. Robert V. Bulmer Keoma, AB Ed.: We understand your frustration and don’t have an answer for you.We do acknowledge that once any government starts exercising new powers over you, it is almost always impossible to get them to relinquish them. There should be an alternative available for Canadian citizens who don’t own smartphones. CSANews | FALL 2022 | 9
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