Big news for Mainers that have been wanting to travel to Canada but have been unable since the border was closed in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Canadian government is opening the border again, but you'll need to do a few things before you can cross. A drive to the Canadian border is about six hours or less from any place in Maine. If you're in a town like Madawaska, it's a short walk across the bridge over the St. John River. In fact, many residents of Madawaska travel across the border as regularly as you might drive to the next town for groceries. That's all about to change.