Canada America Border – Crossing Issues
Posted date : Nov 13, 2017.
Dear Bird Talk,
I read in our magazine about people having border-crossing issues. We never have had any, either way. I wonder what triggers people’s problems. Are they being rude to Canadian or American agents, not being truthful, or what? It would help to put such stories in context. Like many Canadians, before being a snowbird and joining the CSA, I never thought much about such matters. Of course, my trips were short.Canadians need to remember that the U.S. is independent and has its own rules. Thanks for keeping us educated.
P.S. How is the snowbird visa thing going??
Roger Beebe
Niverville, MB
Response:
Ed: I have crossed hundreds of times and I am always very respectful. On only one occasion was I really hassled and that was getting of of a ferry in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. I had my wife and my then 80-year-old parents in the back seat. We must have been profiled!! To make a long story short, it was about three hours of our time and a very, very thorough search of our car, including removing panels and having dogs do their sniffing tricks. The dogs were very nice. We got Nexus cards a few years ago and I highly recommend them. You get to skip the long line-ups when flying – which can save you two hours – and Canada customs is a breeze.