Going to Canada? ... BUSTED!

[Snow Dog]

so wait they can deny a person entry just because they were arrested?

They don't need a reason.

A friend heading south was asked "have you ever been fingerprinted." She innocently replied "yes" -- inside she went. A few hours later a smarter customs agent asked why -- all California RNs are fingerprinted.

[kellen]

This year, no questions and they didn't even ask for our passports on the way in. In fact, my father-in-law Russ fucked up every questions they asked. Agent: "You're all citizens of...." Russ: "Uhhhh....Washington?". Agent: "How many dozens of beer are you bring up?" Russ: "Dozens?.....uhhhh [looks for support].....4?" Agent: "4 dozen. You have 4 dozen beers with you?" Russ: "Yeah, that sounds about right...".

The question I always want to fuck with is:

"Do you have any drugs with you?" Uh, no, we can get them much cheaper up here. Besides, don't you just ship them all down to us anyway? How stupid would I have to be to bring them back?!

I laughed.

[steve]

gee, this is friggin' insane.
back in 1994 i got a "possession of a loaded weapon" charge from when I was 18. I was shooting dirt clods with a .22 in the undeveloped fields of brush outside of san clemente, ca. ended up doing 20 days of community service.

now i can't ski whistler?

[Tahoepa]

I just crossed with a friend with a recent DUI conviction. We crossed above Bonner's Ferry without incident thanks to recs from other mags. One guy in the group we were skiing with got turned away for a copyright infringement charge from two years ago though. Crazy.

It's ironic that they won't let us in to spend money and promote tourism, yet we let tons of people in from the south to milk our system for all its worth. Ridiculous to have to sweat this.

[Stone-Free]

We should just get it over with and annex Canada.

'Nuff said! We always liked America Light anyway, so why not become out 51st state?

Maybe the 52nd state after Cuba...

[advres]

haha thank your current u.s. government for all the security changes... it seems to work both ways

I see what you did there but unfortunately this was an issue before 9/11. I got turned around for an old DUI in 1999.

[mr_gyptian]

haha glad i never got popped with a dui or buds. Alot of my friends are fucked. im wondering about the "other countries". My buddies hitting europe this summer. he's had a few run-ins with the law in his youth.

Europeans, to their credit, are very well attuned to how much tourism means to their economy. Canadians, not so much.

So canada doesn't get my money for a while because I got a DUI. Oh well. It sucks I'll be missing their skiing for a couple of years, but there's this thing called Alaska.

regardless, of what each of us has, or has not done over our storied pasts. the real crime in this is that they are searching for people with domestic misdemeanor crimes( I know DUI is a felony in Canada). but the people we need to be worried about are obviously not going to pop up on these background checks. They most likely have fake passports/visa's and the like. but Canada misses out on a couple that was probably going to spend $40k on a week at whistler. the US I'm sure misses out on the same. all the while we wast innumerable amounts of money, resources, and time refusing tourists entry while terrorists walk through unmolested.

[powder11]

I think Americans should boycott Canadian ski resorts; Whistler in particular

[AsheanMT]

A few years back the wife and I along with a few friends and our dog went to Vancouver to visit a friend whom I had visited about a dozen or so times that year. Everytime I had gone through it was quick and easy and no hangups whatsoever and this time was no exception. We were having a great time in Van. until my dog ran away in Burnaby and everyone NEEDED to get back to the states for work/school. Sooo, sadly, we had to leave our lost pooch in B.C.. We drove back to Missoula to get everyone home and then immediately turned around and went back. We got to the border below Van and expected to go through as usual but this time they made us go to the immigration office. They ran background checks on both of us and found three of my misdemeanors that I had recieved a few years earlier on my 21st birthday in Missoula. (I was directing traffic Downtown and didn't play nice with the police) Anywho, they said we couldn't enter Canada!!!! I told her (the immigration official) that I had entered Canada a dozen times in this last year with no problem and never got into any trouble while there. She said no. I told her about our dog needing to be rescued. She said no. So we had to go back without our doggie. I called my dad in Missoula and told him about the situation and he jumped in his car to see if he can get over and get the dog. When he got to the border....same thing. He was told he could not enter due to a MJ charge back in the 70's. He talked them into selling him a 90 day visa for 300 bucks and went to Burnaby and rescued Irie (our dog). I haven't tried to go to Canada since this whole incident figuring that I must be "flagged" in their computer sytem and therefore screwed outta skiing BC. Now the only way is gonna have to be hiking over the border in one of the many thousands of miles that are completely unwatched!! Ya thats right! If you get denied you can always just walk through.(even if you're a terrorist!)

[powderfinger]

My friend and I will be crossing next week. He tried to enter into a bar with a fake id and got busted for it in college. We rented a car. Should I be driving when we cross since I have a clean record?

[amyzilla]

So... does that mean the president wouldn't be able to get into Canada?

edit: shit, someone beat me to it.

[mr_gyptian]

I think Americans should boycott Canadian ski resorts; Whistler in particular

After September 11th, US skier visits and
off-shore visits to Canada slumped more
than 31.4% from 4.7 million in 2001/02 to
3.2 million in the 2003/04 season

Canadian skier visits to Canadian ski resorts rose to 2.1 million in 2005.

you guys wouldn't be able to turn the lights on without us. More Americans ski Canadian resorts than Canadians.

[powder11]

After September 11th, US skier visits and
off-shore visits to Canada slumped more
than 31.4% from 4.7 million in 2001/02 to
3.2 million in the 2003/04 season

Canadian skier visits to Canadian ski resorts rose to 2.1 million in 2005.

you guys wouldn't be able to turn the lights on without us. More Americans ski Canadian resorts than Canadians.

I happen to be one of "us", but Im willing to bet most Canadians would rather downgrade their standard of living than put up with more of us lowd mouth 'mericans on the ski hills.

[shirk]

I think Americans should boycott Canadian ski resorts; Whistler in particular

Amen brotha.

[altasnob]

For the Canadians that think this law is great because their mountains will be less crowded-lets face it, most Americans will not be affected because most Americans with the $$$ to travel to ski don't have criminal convictions. This law amounts to a major inconvenience for those who unfortunately got popped for some petty crime in their youth. The fact that the law appears to be arbitrarily enforced makes it even more of a joke. I would urge Canadians to to amend the law so that only those with US felonies and repeat DUI offenders get denied entry (and this is coming from someone with a clean rap sheet).

[smitchell333]

Blame Canada!!!

[rideit]

I think Americans should boycott Canadian ski resorts; Whistler in particular

I agree. I will come up there this summer for the protest march.

[Ferniefreeheels]

After September 11th, US skier visits and
off-shore visits to Canada slumped more
than 31.4% from 4.7 million in 2001/02 to
3.2 million in the 2003/04 season

Canadian skier visits to Canadian ski resorts rose to 2.1 million in 2005.

you guys wouldn't be able to turn the lights on without us. More Americans ski Canadian resorts than Canadians.

I agree the border system sucks. But re-think your statement here...you Americans wouldn't be able to turn your lights without us. You wouldn't be able to fire up your cars either.

At least here at F.A.R. the resort is not dominated by American tourists. We get a hell of a lot of Aussies and Swedes and Brits. I'm not knocking Americans at all...as a matter of fact I love the US (I don't care for your politics but I love the people)

...I just get a little hot under the collar when someone takes the attitude that our existance is totally dependant on you.... not the case!

[rossibandit]

Went skiing at Baker today, and I find that every time the visit is a pleasent one.

Most stores in glaciar and the mountain have canadian money tills, which is really cool. I would say that almost half of the people at Baker today were Canadian. So there is a case of an American hill dependant on Canadian Skiers. I will conitue to ski Baker as I like the vibe, people and snow.

So far I have not had any issuses crossing the border from both sides. I find as long as you play the game and are straight forward, and DO NOT give any attitude you will have no problems crossing. Its even wise to have a passport for land crossings. I guess its a little harder for people with a record to cross, but thats the system.

Remember, its up to the judgement of the Customs Officer to allow you to enter the country, both sides. You are a guest in that country and should abide by the rules of that respective country.

Just my 2 cents.

[Ferniefreeheels]

Went skiing at Baker today, and I find that every time the visit is a pleasent one.

Most stores in glaciar and the mountain have canadian money tills, which is really cool. I would say that almost half of the people at Baker today were Canadian. So there is a case of an American hill dependant on Canadian Skiers. I will conitue to ski Baker as I like the vibe, people and snow.

So far I have not had any issuses crossing the border from both sides. I find as long as you play the game and are straight forward, and DO NOT give any attitude you will have no problems crossing. Its even wise to have a passport for land crossings. I guess its a little harder for people with a record to cross, but thats the system.

Remember, its up to the judgement of the Customs Officer to allow you to enter the country, both sides. You are a guest in that country and should abide by the rules of that respective country.

Just my 2 cents.

Rossi...been wondering where your hanging out these days. Glad Baker is treating you well. Skiing here has been really good too, the last week or so.
We were laying down some pretty sweet lines in Fish Bowl on Friday (I was even on alpine skis )
I'm trying to decide right now if I should go touring with the boys in Tunnel creek or go to the hill. You going to be back here to ski this year anymore?
Glad to see your alive and well.

[extreeski]

I found this:

Criminal Inadmissibility

Whether you are planning to visit, work, study or immigrate, if you have committed or been convicted of a criminal offence, including driving while impaired, you may be prohibited from entering Canada.

However, you may be permitted to come to Canada if
* you have applied for rehabilitation and your application has been approved; or
* you are able to satisfy an immigration officer that you meet the legal requirement to be deemed rehabilitated; or
* you have obtained a temporary resident permit; or
* you have obtained a pardon from the National Parole Board of Canada if the criminal offence was committed in Canada; or
* you have obtained a foreign pardon recognized in Canada.

Overcoming Criminal Inadmissibility

This information is intended for general guidance and reference only. A legal decision on your inadmissibility can only be made at the time you seek entry to Canada either through an application or at a port of entry.

There are a number of ways to overcome a past conviction. For each of them, you must provide the documentation and information concerning the details of these convictions, including

* information on the sentences you received for your convictions;
* any pardons or discharges granted; and
* information on the laws under which you were convicted or pardoned or discharged.

If you are applying for a temporary resident visa or a permanent resident visa, you will have to provide details of your criminal history in your visa application. If you do not require a visa to come to Canada, please read on.

Individual Rehabilitation

You can apply for individual rehabilitation if at least five years have passed since you have completed all your criminal sentences.

To apply for individual rehabilitation, you must submit an application, and pay a processing fee.

Applications for rehabilitation can take over a year to process, so make sure you plan for your visit far enough in advance.

[b]Deemed Rehabilitation

You may be deemed rehabilitated if at least 10 years have passed since you completed the sentence imposed for your crime. Some requirements for deemed rehabilitation include:

* You have only been convicted of one offence; and
* The offence would be punishable in Canada by a maximum term of imprisonment of less than 10 years.[b]

You are not required to submit an application to be deemed rehabilitated.

Pardon or Discharge

If you received a Canadian pardon for your conviction, you may be allowed to enter Canada. If you have been convicted in Canada and wish to apply for a pardon, see the National Parole Board Web site.

If you received a pardon or discharge for your conviction in a country other than Canada, check with the CIC office closest to you for more information.

[bookem]

There was a story on the CBC just his morning about a Canadian church group that was driving a convoy of school buses full of toys and equipment to donate to a school in Mexico. The group was turned back due to one of the organizers having a pot bust from the 70s.

Here's another one- my brother in law was sixteen when he and some buddies went to Buffalo NY and had a few too many. They decided it would be funny to take the bell from a taco bell sign back as a souvenir. They were caught and he was charged with public mischief. Move forward 30 years, he is a cameraman who travels around the world and has been in the states literally hundreds of times since, but he arbitrarily gets denied entry on a routine trip. He suffered professional embarrasment and partial loss of income for 6 months until he got it removed from his record.

Most likely the Canadian border stupidity is a response to the US actions. The US border stickiness seemed to come as a reaction to Canada refusing to participate in the debacle in Iraq (there was a noticeable increase in these type of stories in the media afterwards). If in fact we lose some tourist dollars because of a principled stand on that bogus war, then in my opinion it is completely worth it.

[rossibandit]

Ferniefreeheels Quote:

Rossi...been wondering where your hanging out these days. Glad Baker is treating you well. Skiing here has been really good too, the last week or so.
We were laying down some pretty sweet lines in Fish Bowl on Friday (I was even on alpine skis )
I'm trying to decide right now if I should go touring with the boys in Tunnel creek or go to the hill. You going to be back here to ski this year anymore?
Glad to see your alive and well.

Baker has treated me very well this year. Tunnel creek sounds pretty good to me, as the hill must be getting tracked out this weekend. Figures the year that I leave Fernie, its one of the best seasons in years. I would like to get back for a couple of days, but I don't know if its going to happen.

[spook]

[QUOTE=tahoepa;1148980

It's ironic that they won't let us in to spend money and promote tourism, yet we let tons of people in from the south to milk our system for all its worth. Ridiculous to have to sweat this.[/QUOTE]

this is ignorant in so many ways it would almost be comical if it weren't so typical. almost.

[Eldo]

I just want to make one "hudge" correction to your statistics...

After September 11th, US skier visits and off-shore visits to Canada slumped more than 31.4% from 4.7 million in 2001/02 to 3.2 million in the 2003/04 season

^^ That is correct.

Canadian skier visits to Canadian ski resorts rose to 2.1 million in 2005.

^^ No. Canadian skier visits rose 2.1 million to a total of 16 million per season. The vast majority of skier visits in Canada are Canadians.

you guys wouldn't be able to turn the lights on without us. More Americans ski Canadian resorts than Canadians.

It's a shame you can't come skiing to Canada, we sure love that kind of attitude from visitors.