Crossing into Canada

[bballbaby]

Y'all are gonna think I'm nuts, but...

I'll be crossing the Canadian border near Niagara Falls in a few months and I'm planning on take a side arm with me. I always travel with a gun, or at least when I travel by road in the CONUS.

What is border security like at the Canadian Border?

I am expecting to have a fella come up to the window of the truck and ask if we have any drugs, firearms, etc. Obviously the answer would be NO.

My sidearm would tucked at the bottom of my backpack.

Am I right in assuming that a vehicle and person search will be completely random, unless i do something stupid like start yelling Bomb or soemthing like that.

And just so we're clear, I am well aware of the major pain-in-the-neck hassles that would be associated with getting caught with it, so we don't need to hash that out. I just need to know what the border patrol is like.

Thanks in advance. :assaultri

 

[Jfire]

I think your nuts for not telling the truth. On one of our F.D. fishing trips to NW Ontario one of the guys had a misdemeanor from many years back. The first year of the trip he had to pay a 500 dollar fine and sit inside the terminal building for 3 hours. The very next year he had to get a ride to the nearest airport after not receiving passage. This was after driving 12 hours to the boarder........... He's a fulltime guy here at work with 15 years on our job and a near perfect record with the law. Something to think about Gale.

 

[AlohaStyle]

I've crossed the border many times between Seattle and Vancouver with no issues at all. Of course I don't have to be a cool actor and hide the fact that I have a gun in my car and that I'm lying to a Federal agent!

 

[GoingPostal]

Man this has international incident written all over it. Never crossed the northern border but from what others have told me not a problem but be prepared to be called an arms dealer/traffiker if your caught.

 

[Baldanders]

Looking at 5-10 years in jail if caught with handgun I think. You can get a visitor permit for long guns/shotguns if I remember right.

 

[bballbaby]

So more to the point, what is the search protocol? Is it like the airports where they just kinda pick you out for no real reason?

 

[ciggy]

Dude...BP doesn't mess around and especially at the boarder crossing. If they even sense something is wrong they will confinscate everything, tear your car apart, and bend you over! Everyone knows the risk of lying to these guys...atleast where I live.
My 2cents...leave the gun at home.

 

[Ed Monton]

Why would you bother? Leave your gun at home or at least south of the border.

 

[Rick]

Yes. Its random. Good luck!

 

[javajunkie]

why do you need the side arm that badly, that you risk that much hassle? and (not a firearms person, have to ask), are there any channels that would allow you to legally posess and carry into canada?

outsider's perspective: most gun nerds i know love the carry and conceal carry laws, and follow them fastidiously. to try to sneak a weapon across the border into canada seems, to me, to reinforce negative stereotypes of americans as power-tripping gun freaks. $.02

 

[SSimp]

So more to the point, what is the search protocol? Is it like the airports where they just kinda pick you out for no real reason?

It'll be a random search for sure. You might get lucky, and then again, you might not. Quick story: 4 buddies went on a fishing trip to upstarted NY and decided to cross over and go kill some time in Canada. One of the guys had his toothbrush wrapped in tin foil and had it up on the dash. The BP officer asked him what was that on the dash. My wiseass/dumbass buddy sarcastically told her, "Hmmmmph, It's a bomb." WRONG ANSWER! They were detained as the other buddies truck was systematically torn apart and searched, while they watched. After the BP was finished with the search, and the inside of the truck was literally all over the place, they were told "Ok guys, everything checked out fine. You're free to go. Enjoy your stay in Canada."

Long story short: Don't F with the guys on either side of the border.

 

[thatjohnguy]

I live 45 minutes from that boarder and know some boarder officers..... i can't stress enough that this is a bad idea. we have a totally different view on firearms up here and it's a no joke affair. if caught you will be arrested and held for bail. As per search protocol i can tell you they have VERY strong search authorities and powers of detention and arrest. Also you have to look beyond the boarder, any police officer also has search authorities, Americans who get arrested in Canada can and are usually held for bail court which means one will go to a detention center. I think here you should maybe side with your better judgement. If caught at the boarder it's a little bit more than "the major pain-in-the-neck hassles". It's a CRIMINAL OFFENCE. Hope this helps.

 

[BigFoot]

I've been crossing into the border for 20 years. 4 years ago we crossed in, they held me and my brother for 2 + hours. My brother had a pending dui, some other charge that he was guilty of and I had a charge stemming from 10+ years ago that I was guilty of. In the end after much aggravation they let us in with me being responsible for any actions my brother may have. Not a good way to start off the fishing trip. Since that trip my bro hasn't been back because of it, also if you have a dui you need to clear it with the Canadian border months before. If you don't they have the right to not let you enter.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[bballbaby]

hmmmm. interesting view points

 

[KickinD]

I moved back and forth across the border and they only looked at my paperwork. Even with a packed vehicle they didn't seem interested in holding up the line. Of course, I did nothing suspicious, had all my papers in order, and was very respectful.

 

[Alwayslit]

Dude...BP doesn't mess around and especially at the boarder crossing. If they even sense something is wrong they will confinscate everything, tear your car apart, and bend you over! Everyone knows the risk of lying to these guys...atleast where I live.
My 2cents...leave the gun at home.

^^^ this^^^

 

[gibbleguts]

Another bigger issue for this would be what are you going to do with it in Canada? If you are attacked and use it you will go to Jail for an extended period of time. If you feel threatened and pull it for some reason you will go to jail for an extended period of time. If you go for dinner and are carrying and some one sees and calls the cops you are going to jail for an extended period of time. Guns are treated very differently here then in the US. In most cases the consequences for carrying a restricted weapon are worse then what would have happened if not carrying a weapon. Even for those that own hand guns legally have lots of issues just trying to transport them around.

 

[MReschke0626]

Generally speaking with any sort of illegal activity, as my cousin in law enforcement says, "Unless you are fully prepared for all the consequences that could come with your actions and are okay with them. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT."

Most people are not okay with sitting in jail, prison, getting handcuffed, legal fees and a tarnished permanent record. Granted, good people get caught doing stupid shit on a daily basis, but use your best judgement. This is not a speeding ticket cause your wife is having a baby.

 

[Hendy]

You won't get it into Canada and you won't get it back into the States. You are a fool to even think of that Gale. Did you hit your head or something?

 

[bballbaby]

OK, OK!! I won't take a gun!!

I feel like i just got clubbed over the head. :stickbeat