Update:
Hey guys, I went to the Peace Bridge recently. I would highly suggest you go there for Flagpoling too. Try reaching there by 7:30 AM and start walking to the US border. Please do not go any earlier since this will really piss off officers on both sides. I went there at 5:30 AM, and an officer suggested I come later for flagpoling. Also, ensure you have a thick skin on that day because some officers may talk to you very harshly and you'll just have to swallow it. Remember, your only priority is to get your permits -- don't let your pride or emotions interfere with that. Try to stay as nonchalant as possible and be their personal punching bag, and they'll respect you.
Important Note: They closed off the Mather Arch Park walkway due to some temporary work. Go to the office near Queen St. and follow the directions.
On the US Side:
After crossing the bridge and going through a turnstile, there's a door to a very small office. You'll notice a speaker and a button attached to the left side of the door, press the button and wait for an officer to serve you. The US officer was pretty nice, but only answer questions concisely. My tip would be not to be the funny guy in any interactions with border officers, just smile, nod, and answer questions. Make sure you come out of the office with the paper that proves that you flagpoled. Also, pack lightly since they might search for you, but nothing like that happened with me.
Cross the bridge back to Canada the same way you came from.
On the Canadian Side:
After that, you'll notice an array of stalls that are processing cars. Don't be confused; they are there to serve pedestrians too. So walk up to them using the zebra crossing, present them your documents and get a slip (It was yellow for me). At this point, ask the officer at the stall where the main office is, and he'll direct you to it. Enter the office, submit your documents, take a sit and wait patiently to be called.
Good luck and Godspeed. Ask me anything if you'd like to know more.
I personally got my PGWP refused because my officer got to know that I had two part-time semesters during covid in my 5 years long undergrad (crazy rules, I know). I had a letter of explanation and heaps of supplemental documents, but the officer processing me didn't really want to reason with me or look deeply into my explanations. So I would suggest that you should flagpole only if you know you're guaranteed a permit. I'm probably going to try and apply online now. However, the officer gave me a visitor record for 4 months to figure stuff out, which was nice. I'm sure being a bit more argumentative could've played out for the better, but on the flip side, he also could have refused the work permit and asked me to leave before my study permit expired.
