To bring, or not to bring...across the border to Canada

[trapperdirk]

Come now fellow fishermen .Your tourists in our land and as tourist spend some money and leave alot of your stuff at home because if you don't your considered squatters . You get a great exchange on your dollar and your GST back which is more than us residents do so if your going to play amongst us and use our resources also share a bit of your cash because we pay for it in spades . I'm not saying you should buy big ticket items but bait,booze,gas ,fidos food etc . Come on ,,,don't be so frigging cheap . Even when I travel further north in Ontario I try to help boost the economy of the area I'm fishing in and I don't get more for my dollar or GST back as you do.

TD

[iceman16]

hemlock,or anyone who knows i have a couple questions for ya. first any reports out of the nester falls area? my dad grandpa and i are heading there tuesday. and another one what is the drinking age up there. i am 20, not allowed to drink in the states legally but heard the drinking age there was 18, or 19 just wondering. any info would be great i want my grandpa to have a great trip he hasnt been up there in about 4 years because of health issues.thank you.

iceman

[trapperdirk]

The drinking age in Ontario is 19 and 18 in some provinces, so enjoy that beer without looking over your shoulder .

TD

[Cheers]

Schwanny the phone # for M.N.R. in Fort Frances is 807 274 9079 I sugest you phone and talk to a C.O. He will tell you the same thing. No smelts. I know because I live and fish there.

[TomBow]

Thank you to Hemlock for starting this thread and giving us some info and thanks to the residents of ON, Canada for letting us come to visit. For me, when I go to Canada, I expect to pay more for items up there than I would in the U.S. It's a simple fact, like it or not. I just figure, hey, I'm on vacation enjoying myself so if it costs me a few bucks more, no big deal.

On the crawlers, I've heard of people not being allowed to take crawlers because of the dirt inside the crawlers. Anyone heard this?

Have fun, prepare for your bordering crossing, know the regs and follow them and you should have no problem getting the PRIVILEGE to fish in Canada. Better to be prepared than get held up trying to get to your vacation spot.

If you have questions, call as Hemlock suggests or go online to the Ontario Ministry HSOforum and look at the regs there.

Thanks again, Mr. Lock, sir!

[packman]

then dont charge $4.00 for a pack of playing cards. some of us save all year to enjoy your beutiful land and i just cant aford to pay for some overpriced stuff.

[nitroant]

If you are flying to and from Minnesota they WILL ask for a passport or birth certificate along with a drivers licence before they let you off the plane in the US. By car I have only ever been asked for a DL when coming back into the US. Pay the $100 some $$'s and get a passport. Its a pretty good failsafe.

[Hemlock]

Well, you are always going to have your standard "rip off" items. A deck of playing cards would fall into that category, I would think.

Sorry you got ripped off. There are places to know where to buy and stop there if you can, and then there are places that they know you really don't have any other options but to pay $6 for a few hot dog buns....Try not to get yourself into those positions, I guess.

[wazuplittlefishes]

quick question for all of you. i'm hearing a rumor down here that they are going to start requiring you too have a passport to get across the boarder. is that true? cuz if it is i would like to know as soon as i can cuz it takes about a month to get one

[full force five]

They will require on in 2007, I think. It's always a good idea to have one getting back into the US. Otherwise better get use to say "Eh" and drink Blue light

[wazuplittlefishes]

ok thanks. another question since i'm 15 with a valid drivers license would they still require me to have a birth certificate

[Hemlock]

Birth certificates are required. Driver's Licenses do not prove country of birth/citizenship.....Haveing said that, they don't ask for them everytime, but certainly more often than not.

[full force five]

I have a place in Sioux Lookout, ON and have been going there for over 30 years. In that time I've never been asked to produce a DL or birth certificate. . . . Only, “You are a citizen of what country.” BTW, I love the leading questions they ask, “How many weapons do you have”, “How many dozen leaches do you have” ect. . . .

Maybe post 911 things are more strict, but I have not see it. Other than a cursory glance into my truck bed last year or a few more questions. I suppose have it on hand would not hurt.

[Hemlock]

I must look "foreign" or threatening

I cross 1-3 times a month and the Birth Certificate is almost always called for with the driver's license.

It's fair to say you never know what you are going to encounter. Come prepared as you possibly can.

[Wild Thing]

Hemlock,

We had this discussion a month or so ago. Who is asking you for the birth certificate? Like the above post, I've been crossing for decades and have never been asked for anything other than a drivers license, and event that is only occasional. Are you being asked by US Customs? Maybe they only ask non-Americans? But neither side has ever asked anyone I know for a birth ceriticate -- except kids who don't have a drivers license. Just an fyi, not trying to say you are wrong or anything.

I continue to be amazed by how much false information gets going on these websites (not from you.) It's as if people get their news from these things!

Was that your shop's ad in the Lake of the Woods Area News? Very nice.

Good fishing....

P.S. Folks: Keep up the efforts to stop the passport requirement! It appears it may be dying before the 2008 start date.

[Hemlock]

Wild Thing, I thought we had this discussion...wierd how two people's experiences with the same thing can be so different. Maybe, it's where we cross, maybe it's that I'm Canadian, maybe cuz my wife is US and son is a dual (we really are a mixed bag when we cross) I usually cross at Tolstoi, MB/Lancaster, MN or Baudette/Rainy River. Depends on where I'm headed/coming from. Anyways, it is also wierd the false information thing.

I haven't seen the ad, but yes, that is my company in the Area News. It's a family business, and I manage this store. Thanks!

[Wild Thing]

Hemlock,

The Area News is a great publication, very well done. It's mostly centered on you folks on the north side of the lake, but it's still worth getting for us Morsonites. Hope it drums up some biz for you. The association really is working to protect water quality on LOW.

My crossing experience is mostly limited to FFrances, RRiver and Pigeon River so it may depend on the crossing.

Heading north this afternoon for six days! If we get up your way this summer we'll stop in the shop. My wife would love it.

Good fishing!

[jegerjack]

From the Canadian Consulate HSOforum:

http://www.can-am.gc.ca

INFORMATION FOR U.S. CITIZENS AND U.S. RESIDENT ALIENS WHO WISH TO VISIT CANADA

UNITED STATES CITIZENS and ALIEN RESIDENT CARD HOLDERS (known as "Green Card Holders") do NOT require a Visa to visit Canada. Nevertheless, they must have proof of their United States Citizenship or Permanent Residence.

The following documents are acceptable as evidence of U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence for travelers entering directly from the United States:

U.S. CITIZENS:

· A VALID U.S. PASSPORT; or

· AN ORIGINAL U.S. BIRTH CERTIFICATE PLUS PHOTO IDENTIFICATION; or

· AN ORIGINAL NATURALIZATION CERTIFICATE PLUS PHOTO IDENTIFICATION.

U.S. PERMANENT RESIDENTS:

· ORIGINAL ALIEN REGISTRATION CARD (Green Card); or

· A VALID I551 STAMP IN THE TRAVELLER'S PASSPORT.

Other documents such as a driver's license or voter registration card will NOT be accepted as proof of U.S. Citizenship.

Now, I also have been going up to the great white north for years and I have never been asked for a BC but I would hate to dirve all the way up there to find out that I would need one... I always keep a copy of my BC when I go up, just in case, but I bet that is not even right...

[Scenic]

I cross several times a year and I too have been asked for two different types of ID’s including a couple of times, my birth certificate. Almost always they ask for my DL but I also have a copy of my birth certificate in the glove box if needed. The last time my son was with me he had to show his birth certificate then they started asking him for his DL and they still drilled him for about an hour and because of his size they did not believe he was only 13.

Honestly I have had more problems getting back into the US then into Canada. All and all I have not had a bad experience with customs either way. Custom agents get paid to do a job and it is not a desirable job that I would want. They encounter a lot of people with attitudes every day so they are pretty much point blank with their questions. Answer their questions without an attitude, don’t bring anything in or out that you are not supposed to and you will have no problems most of the time. But run your mouth or have an attitude with them and you can expect nothing pleasant to come from it.

[TomBow]

Started going to Vermilion Bay, ON 3 years ago, honeymooning and have repeated each year at the same time, 2nd week of June, we have crossed at Int'l Falls all 3 times. Always had our birth certificates with us but have never been asked to show them, better safe and have them with you. We have driven the same truck each year, not towing a boat and never spent more than 5 minutes getting into Canada. 2 yrs. ago coming back into US, the "greeter" on the US side started asking the usual questions and I got stuck for a second on "What is your country of citizenship?". I took half a second to decipher the questions than answered "Uh, the United States of America". Due to the slight pause, "Are you sure?" and we were pulled over and searched.

Bottom line, be prepared when you get into the line to cross the border and pay attention when you are being asked. Take off your sunglasses and look the officers in the eye and answer the questions as quickly and clearly as you can. This is one way to avoid getting delayed. The officers on both sides aren't in the mood to joke around with you so curb the humor, too. Be friendly and courteous and you shouldn't have a problem.

[Zaraspooks]

We had a group of 8 (2 vehicles)cross last Friday at about 3AM at the Fort Frances/International Falls crossing. They took all our drivers licences but never asked for anything else. During the questioning, they asked 3 times if we were carring any firearms or ammunition and 2 times if we were carrying any potatos. Both of our vehicles were asked to pull over and checked thoroughly. It appeared that every vehicle crossing at that time was checked. They were very nice and we were in compliance and the whole thing only took about 45 minutes.

We were a little nervous because one of the guy's had gotten a DWI on Easter weekend. We had a plan B in place but nothing was said by customs about this incident.

One thing we did discover, we were always under the assumption that we were allowed to cross the border with 1 bottle of liquor per guy. 8 guys = 8 bottles. However, reading the rules, it says 1.14 litres or 40 oz per person. We brought in 12 - 750ml bottles and they told us we were in compliance.

[Wild Thing]

fyi, just to keep this conversation going...

...we crossed again last Thursday at Fort Frances. Had our drivers licenses ready in one hand with kids's birth certificate (which is silly becasue it has no photo and could be for anyone.) The agent didn't ask to see anything, and the stop took less than 45 seconds.

Coming back the day after Memorial Day, the I_falls agent again declined to even look at our drivers licenses!!! He was more interested in how the fishing was. Total time: Less than 60 seconds.

I've been crossing for decades, we now cross each way about 18 times yearly -- never searched yet! I must look honest!

P.S. The fishing on LOW for walleyes was very, very good.... lots of pesky pine flys, however. They don't bite but they stick to everything!

[Hemlock]

Wild Thing, thanks for the report, both border crossing and fishing. I couldn't agree with you more on both accounts. Crossing for my wife and I sometimes can take less than 45 seconds, other times, the paperwork comes out and we might be up to 120 seconds.

Walleyes have been getting more and more abundant around here.

[fisherking01]

Good to see you guys are still holding down the lakes of Ontario, I'll be up to help on the 17th, Looking forward to the trek, staying in Kenora on 17th and flying out on 18th. Hope to see some of you locals in Kenora. Take care, fisherking01

[Hemlock]

Fisherking01, I just realized I'll be in MN for a wedding that day/weekend. Sorry dude, would've been fun to hook up. How about on your way back through after the fishing? Or will you be making tracks south?