OTTAWA, Ont. — Bargain-hunters have been clogging the Canada/US border in recent months, with same-day car travel from Canada to the US hitting its highest level in nearly seven years in October.

Canadians took about 2.2 million same-day car trips to the US in October, up 6% compared to September. It was the highest monthly total since January, 2001 according to Statistics Canada data released this morning.

Overnight car travel to the US was also up to 972,000 trips, the highest monthly total since September, 1993. During October, the Canadian loonie averaged US$1.03. Same-day car travel across the border grew the most in B.C. and the Prairies, with Ontario border crossings seeing only a 1.8% increase. However, Ontario border crossings remain the busiest, accounting for 54.6% of same-day car trips.

In total, Canadians made about 3.9 million car trips across the border in October. During the same period, however, Americans made a record low 899,000 same-day car trips into Canada. That’s a 3.8% drop from September.