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Posts: 306
| Anyone crossed the border lately at International Falls? Haven't been across in several years, and the info I'm finding is confusing. Any help would be appreciated.
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Posts: 1983
| I crossed last August when negative tests were required, that was a little bit of a pain… but doable, I also crossed this June, no test needed, the rest is very straight forward and crossing is easy, what’s your question? |
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Posts: 574
| I crossed last week. Pretty painless. Have your passport, proof of vaccination and have everything completed on the ArriveCan app. Only hassle I encountered is that there is a ban on chicken/poultry products. |
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Posts: 37
| We crossed a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty painless as Matt said. No eggs or poultry allowed in. ArriveCan info was filled out by our group and passport along with the vax card was brought along. The guards only asked us for the passports as I am sure the computer with ArriveCan is tied to that. We had 3 rigs going just north of LOTW and one of them got the random computer check. The other 2 rigs left and went to the LCBO down the street just to pass the time and wait. The declaration by the driver of our other rig stated to the border guard that the bottle of booze was a liter. However a 1.75 liter bottle was being carried in. Dumb move! The driver was not paying attention to that and mistakenly stated a liter. He had his 2 sons with him and just wasn't thinking I guess. When the border patrol checked it and found it was over the limit declared, they broke the seal and pulled the cork without the driver knowing. It ended up tipping over in his truck on the way up. Kind of a bush league thing to do, but there are no excuses. The driver made an error. In a way it would have been better if they would have just confiscated the bottle. That being said, we have always claimed a bottle of booze if we took that. If the border guard asks we say, "a 1.75 each and we would like to pay duty." It has never been an issue for us previously even though a liter is what is legal. When we declare the 1.75, we have never paid duty on that declaration either. Other than that, we had no issues. Even that was a pretty minor issue. One thing we did find is that the fishing pressure was very light. It was awesome to be back in Canada again. It felt as if we had all of the muskies to ourselves. We also found that you can still buy booze in Ontario to replace the lost 1.75. 8-) |
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Posts: 8
| Does anyone know if they are passing out random test at border. |
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Posts: 1241
| Once you have issue at the border every time you cross the border you will be randomly cheeked. A couple of my friends who are Muskie fishermen who have longer hair got put in a room for hours for no reason. Since then they get the "random cheek" every time. All the times I've been to Canada I've never been cheeked. |
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Posts: 1983
| I agree with the above...I've crossed dozens of times never been random checked...however several years ago I was a passanger in a 42' RV... Driver informed us its always "random checked" - ha! |
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Posts: 56
Location: Land of 10,000 Lakes | Yes 2 of the 6 in our group got random tests. We were staying at a remote camp at Lotw and it was a pain. Had to take them all the way back through Morson and then to Rainy River drop box. |
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Posts: 1220
Location: E. Tenn | Wow... the last time i crossed the border was in '17... on a bicycle... It was an incredibly easy, and enjoyable day trip..
Edited by miket55 7/15/2022 9:30 PM
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Posts: 1241
| Mike did you have the butt of your fish pole mounted in PVC pipe on your Bike? (old trick for ridding bike to fishing spot) |
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Posts: 1220
Location: E. Tenn | HaHa..I was playing tourist on that ride that went from Buffalo, to Niagara Falls, to Fort Erie, and back.. The Customs guys at both sides of the border were cool.
Way back when, before PVC was widely used, we'd come up with all sorts of ways to carry or fishing rod.. Tackle was easy..a small box that fit into a pack
Edited by miket55 7/17/2022 7:52 PM
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| 2019 I was in Buffalo and Niagara Falls but did not have a passport (I could see Canada from our room) |
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Posts: 306
| IAJustin - 7/11/2022 10:26 PM
I crossed last August when negative tests were required, that was a little bit of a pain… but doable, I also crossed this June, no test needed, the rest is very straight forward and crossing is easy, what’s your question?
Matt DeVos - 7/12/2022 10:23 AM
I crossed last week. Pretty painless. Have your passport, proof of vaccination and have everything completed on the ArriveCan app. Only hassle I encountered is that there is a ban on chicken/poultry products.
After further research, ^^ this is what I've gathered. A newbie in our group got hung up on the air travel guidelines, not the land guidelines. Had me thinking it was more complicated than just the newer Covid and ArriveCan stuff, but it doesn't appear that's the case. Thanks.
For me it's always been roll the windows down, have passports ready, yes/no answers, don't lie, don't make small talk, and once you get the "have a good trip", get moving.
Edited by Booch 7/19/2022 8:18 PM
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| Booch - 7/19/2022 8:16 PM
For me it's always been roll the windows down, have passports ready, yes/no answers, don't lie, don't make small talk, and once you get the "have a good trip", get moving.
This has always been my approach as well.
Edited by TCESOX 7/19/2022 9:10 PM
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Posts: 1241
| Like when you get pulled over the less you say the better. |
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Posts: 15
| chuckski - 7/20/2022 9:53 AM
Like when you get pulled over the less you say the better.
No no no, tell 'em you're travelling, not driving.
I hear they like that. |
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Posts: 8743
| I've had some interesting experiences at the border.
Do: smile and have your passorts ready
Do: answer their questions honestly and politely. They have to sit in that little booth all day long and deal with a-holes like you after all.
Do not: Make fun of the metric system when they ask how much alcohol you have.
Do not: Point at the stack of muskie rods in your passenger seat and say "no I'm just taking them for a ride because they were bored" when they ask you if you're really going up to fish for the third time.
Do not: say "Hey can I take your picture?" (my wife is like a Chinese tourist)
Do not: (this was not me, but a buddy of mine did this) Drive up in a caravan of vehicles and pack all the alcohol in one vehicle. Also do not do this on the way home with all of the fish.
Do not: Offer to drink any excess alcohol you may have on the spot.
Do: Ask the agent "Wanna beer?" They're still going to make you pay the duty, but they'll be laughing about it.
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| esoxaddict - 7/20/2022 3:47 PM
I've had some interesting experiences at the border.
Do: smile and have your passorts ready
Do: answer their questions honestly and politely. They have to sit in that little booth all day long and deal with a-holes like you after all.
Do not: Make fun of the metric system when they ask how much alcohol you have.
Do not: Point at the stack of muskie rods in your passenger seat and say "no I'm just taking them for a ride because they were bored" when they ask you if you're really going up to fish for the third time.
Do not: say "Hey can I take your picture?" (my wife is like a Chinese tourist)
Do not: (this was not me, but a buddy of mine did this) Drive up in a caravan of vehicles and pack all the alcohol in one vehicle. Also do not do this on the way home with all of the fish.
Do not: Offer to drink any excess alcohol you may have on the spot.
Do: Ask the agent "Wanna beer?" They're still going to make you pay the duty, but they'll be laughing about it.
When we took the train from Skagway into the Yukon Territories some years back, the conductor on the train told us not to smile but to hold the passport up by our face and not say a word. They boarded the train and were a very stern looking group, carrying high powered rifles and wearing body armor. It was quick and professional. The conductor later told me that since you are not supposed to smile for your passport photo, they prefer you not smile when presenting. |
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Posts: 332
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba | North of 8 - 7/20/2022 4:09 PM
When we took the train from Skagway into the Yukon Territories some years back, the conductor on the train told us not to smile but to hold the passport up by our face and not say a word. They boarded the train and were a very stern looking group, carrying high powered rifles and wearing body armor. It was quick and professional. The conductor later told me that since you are not supposed to smile for your passport photo, they prefer you not smile when presenting.
Maybe mixing your memory with another country or going back to the States - CBSA only carries Beretta Storm pistols and only authorized to do so since 2006 and probably not fully implemented until several years thereafter. Back in the day probably not many wearing ballistic vests either as no reason to. |
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| Angling Oracle - 7/24/2022 1:53 PM
North of 8 - 7/20/2022 4:09 PM
When we took the train from Skagway into the Yukon Territories some years back, the conductor on the train told us not to smile but to hold the passport up by our face and not say a word. They boarded the train and were a very stern looking group, carrying high powered rifles and wearing body armor. It was quick and professional. The conductor later told me that since you are not supposed to smile for your passport photo, they prefer you not smile when presenting.
Maybe mixing your memory with another country or going back to the States - CBSA only carries Beretta Storm pistols and only authorized to do so since 2006 and probably not fully implemented until several years thereafter. Back in the day probably not many wearing ballistic vests either as no reason to.
No, this was 2010 and my wife has the same memory. They were short barreled assault style weapons. They may have been 9mm, but definitely not handguns
I have owned firearms for over 60 years and spent a couple years in the Army. The agents at the Vancouver Airport also had ballistic vests on. There we had to present our passports after getting oof the plane.
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