THE COUNT DOWN TO THE SCHOOL YEAR IS

ON, AND CANADIANS ARE SHOPPING FOR BACK TO SCHOOL BARGAINS----IN THE U.S

.IT'S AN EMERGING TREND THAT HAS HIT RECORD HIGHS THIS YEAR.

AS NEWSWATCH'S MAEGEN KULCHAR TELLS US, OFFICIALS DON'T BELIEVE ITS GOING TO SLOW DOWN ANY TIME SOON.

BY THE NUMBER OF ONTARIO

LICENCE PLATES IN THIS PARKING LOT, YOU WOULD THINK WE WERE IN CANADA-- BUT THIS IS SALMON RUN MALL JUST IN WATERTOWN NEW YORK

.

CROSS BORDER SHOPPING IS BIGGER THAN EVER THIS YEAR FOR CANADIANS-- WHO ARE TRYING TO CASH IN ON A

GOOD DEAL

HOWARD KELLY/BRIDGE AUTHORITY:

"THERE ARE THINGS THEY CAN BUY HERE IN NORTHERN NEW YORK LESS EXPENSIVELY THEN THEY CAN IN KINGSTON."

STREETER:

"THERE'S MORE CHOICES AND ITS CLOSE TO PERTH"

(ARE YOU GOING TO DO SOME SHOPPING?)

STREETER:

"OH YES WE ALREADY HAVE BUT DON'T ASK US HOW MUCH WE SPENT THOUGH!"

STREETER:

"BETTER SELECTION AND BETTER DEALS"

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS CANADA HIGHER DUTY-FREE LIMITS ARE

DRIVING SAVVY SHOPPERS TO THE U-S.

INSTEAD OF THE LIMIT OF 50 DOLLARS FOR A 24 HOUR CHANGE IT IS NOW 200-- AND FOR 48 HOURS OR MORE THE LIMIT WAS INCREASED TO 800 DOLLARS PER PERSON, UP FROM 200.

MAEGEN KULCHAR:

"SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, FROM JANUARY TO THE END OF JULY, OFFICIALS AT THE 1000 ISLAND BORDER AUTHORITY SAY THEY'VE SEEN AN ADDITIONAL 31 THOUSAND VEHICLES CROSSING THE BORDER"

HOWARD KELLY/BRIDGE AUTHORITY:

"PASSENGER TRAFFIC IS UP THREE PERCENT AND COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC IS UP 2 PERCENT AND THOSE FIGURES FOR THE FIRST THREE WEEKS OF AUGUST ARE HOLDING STRONG"

KELLY SAYS THE EMERGING TREND IS DUE TO A NUMBER OF FACTORS.

HOWARD KELLY/BRIDGE AUTHORITY:

"ONE IS GOOD WEATHER, AND THE OTHER IS THE VALUE OF THE CANADIAN DOLLAR"

CURRENTLY THE LOONIE SITS

SLIGHTLY ABOVE PAR, MAKING CANADIAN MONEY GO FURTHER

IN AMERICA.

INSIDE, STORES ARE ALSO NOTICING AN INCREASE IN CANADIAN SHOPPERS-- ONE EMPLOYEE SAYS

THEY WERE EXPECTING FIVE BUSES CARRYING ALMOST 300 CANADIANS THIS AFTERNOON.

MAEGEN KULCHAR CKWS NEWSWATCH

WATERTOWN NEW YORK

.