GROVE CITY — Travelers crossing the Canadian and United States border will soon need certain documents to allow them to make their next trip.

Bryan Roth, consulate general of Canada, visited the Prime Outlets on Monday to let both Canadian shoppers and U.S. residents know about the change.

"I think the main concern these days is just knowing what they need," Roth said. "I think we are past the stage of protesting it, and there is more of an understanding of what would be acceptable, and that's why we are here today."

The federal 9-11 Commission recommended the creation of a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which has document requirements for travel into the United States from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

This was done to help create more secure borders after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

One of four documents will be required starting June 1 for anyone traveling across the U.S. border. Those documents are: a passport, a passport card, a Nexus card and an enhanced driver's license.

"Originally, it was only going to be a passport, but they decided they needed a few more documents to be able to cross the border," Roth said.

Passport

He said a passport is valid if travelers are going to drive, go by boat or fly. He also said it is better for people planning more international travel.

"For some of the more localized folks, we are stationed in Buffalo, and it's second nature to go across the border," Roth said. "You're right there, anywhere from 20 minutes, and in other places in Vermont, they have an opera house that is half in Canada and half in the U.S., and their whole community is based on the border."

Applications for passports can be completed at any U.S. Post Office for $100 or the Butler County Prothonotary's office.

Roth said a family of four traveling across the border would most likely stop going to Canada if they had to buy passports for all family members, so a passport card also was developed.

Passport card

"This is the size of a credit card and is good for use while traveling by land or sea," Roth said. "I believe to date, more than a million cards have been issued by the U.S. State Department. Some people will get them especially if you live on the border and want to do some spontaneous travel."

Applications for passport cards can be completed at a U.S. Post Office or the Butler County Prothonotary's office for $45 for adults and $35 for minors.

Nexus card

Another form of documentation that can be used is a Nexus card, which is a trusted traveler program.

"There are dedicated lanes at border passes, and basically it's an E-ZPass," Roth said. "It pulls up all of your information."

Everyone in the car would need a card, Roth said. This document also speeds up travel as you need a background check by both U.S. and Canadian officials, must complete an in-person interview and have a clean record.

Applications can be submitted online at www.cbp.gov for $50.

Enhanced driver's license

An enhanced driver's license is another form of documentation a person can buy. These licenses are available in Vermont, New York, Washington and Michigan, with Arizona close to getting it, Roth said.

"We'd like to see other states get it," Roth said. "Pennsylvania would be a great state because a lot of Canadians come down to Grove City, and others go up to Canada."

Roth said Canada has always supported the U.S. securing its border, but said it is important to make documents easily available to legitimate trade and travel.

"We have done outreach in Syracuse, Buffalo and here," Roth said. "It's a reminder to people that they do need to get their documents."

Roth said about 40 to 50 percent of vehicle license plates he saw Sunday at the Prime Outlets were from Canada.

Carmen DeRose, manager of the Prime Outlets, said Canadian shoppers make up a large number of customers there, but he would not give a specific amount.

"We do a lot of functions and events in the Canadian market, and we have been cultivating that in the last two years because there is a niche, and it's something we keep marketing to," DeRose said.

He also said while the average Prime Outlets customer drives 70 miles to get to the stores, he does not think the changes in required documents will affect sales.

"Customers are loyal, we are tax-free and we have some new stores," DeRose said. "It's definitely worth their while."

Joseph Aversa, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, said there have been questions about the change, but the general response has been positive.

"They completely understand the need for positive identification of individuals," Aversa said of the U.S. public. "It's obviously a change in the way we have done things for the millennium, but I have not gotten any negative feedback from folks who have contacted us."

Aversa said the change will make people safer, and at the same time, make travel more efficient.

"I think in the long run, it will speed up travel," Aversa said. "It also helps people responsible for screening in the identification process."

Jack Cohen, executive director of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, said the change in documents will make everyone feel safer.

"The government is making certain that delays will be as minimal as possible," Cohen said.

He said visitors from Canada are a huge impact on Butler County tourism, whether they visit golf courses or shop at stores.

"I would bet 25 percent of travelers who use Interstate 79 are from Canada," Cohen said. "The Canadian market is huge."

For more information on the documentation needed to travel, visit www.travel.state.gov.