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Flying south? 5 tips to get you back into Canada smoothly

At this time of year, plenty of Canadians head south for a winter getaway. For the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the season that started this week is busier than Christmas. Of the 90 million travellers who entered Canada in the past year, many were Canadians travelling back from the Caribbean and the southern United States during "charter" season.

At the Halifax Stanfield International Airport, a peak day during charter season means 12 additional flights.

"So it's a lot busier than our regular days throughout the rest of the year," said Jill Williamson, a border services officer at the airport.

Officers are on guard for contraband like illegal weapons, drugs, restricted food or agricultural products, or animal parts.

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To ensure a smooth trip through customs and immigration, CBSA offered a few tips.

- Make a full declaration to the officer upon arrival. If you are not sure what to declare, declare all items and then discuss with the officer. Look up your personal exemptions.

- Carry proper identification, which includes a birth certificate, a Canadian passport, a permanent residence card, a citizenship card, or a certificate of Indian status.

- Do not pack prohibited items, which include switchblades, brass knuckles, replica handguns, tasers and pepper spray.

- Animal, food, and plant products, such as some fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products are not permitted into Canada. This includes souvenir items made from animals that are protected under endangered species legislation.

- Wooden items with bark or which may contain insects are not permitted. A common souvenir from Cuba, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic are wooden sculptures decorated with small red and black beans called jequirity beans. These beans are toxic if ingested and are banned by Health Canada.