Manitobans who own an enhanced identification card will eventually have to get a passport if they want to enter the U.S.

That's because Manitoba Public Insurance has decided to wind down the program by next year.

The card was introduced in 2009 as a less-expensive alternative to a passport that allowed the cardholder to enter the United States by land or water.

MPI spokesman Brian Smiley says the decision to end the program was due to its waning popularity.

"We were seeing a steady reduction in the number of people who were getting the cards. We have roughly 10,500 cardholders and that number has been decreasing steadily over the years. I suppose the bottom line is the program was losing money and the decision was made to wind it down."

The enhanced ID card fits into a wallet and was originally designed as a convenience for people who were going to do short shopping trips across the border, which would explain why the majority of cardholders reside in southern Manitoba.

Smiley says they're not entirely sure why the card never took off but notes it had a lot of stiff competition from people who use their passports for travel and other documents used to cross into the U.S. such as a FAST Card or a NEXUS Card.

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Written by Dean Penner