Border crossing post 9/11 (DWI,DUI)?

[the squirrel]

Hey people i have a recent concern about crossing into canada for are 7th annual fly in fishing trip this year. I have never had a problem my self but i have been hearing some horror stories of recent months. People are now telling me a past conviction on a dwi,dui could spoil your fishing trip even if it was 5 to 10 yrs or older. What are some tips to avoid this problem or some recent horror stories. If anyone out there can shed some light on this possible vacation ruining news that would be great.

TY,The squirrel

[Guest]

Here's a tip: Don't drink and drive!

[Guest]

I know someone who was stopped inside canada and was checked. They had an old DWI in Minnesota, 10 years old. DWI in Canada = FELLONY!! They were offered to buy a temp drivers lic. for $300.00 (3 days).....Or get the heck out of their country.
Lesson: dont drink and drive

[Guest]

I have also heard that you cannot enter Canada with a prior DWI conviction. If this is something that may effect you or someone you know, you may want to call ahead first. I have heard of stories of guys getting turned back at the border trying to get to the NW angle for ice fishing...

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MILLE LACS AREA GUIDE SERVICE
651-271-5459 http://fishingminnesota.com/millelacsguide/

[Guest]

D-man gave some good advice. Call ahead and talk to someone who has the authority to allow you in, and or stop you from entering. I.E. talk to a supervisor of the canadian mounted police, or the like. Make sure you get a contact number, and as much info as possible from that official.

This was something that was happening before Sept. 11, so no need to drag that date into this discussion.

GOOD LUCK!!
Rusty

[Guest]

squirrel,

I have a buddy who has a couple DUIs under his belt, one of which involved a vehicular homicide. Granted, your situation may not be that extreme, but this is what happened to him, only a month ago this weekend.
When they went to cross the border at Fort Francis, they asked the usual questions, and for some reason, pulled them over. They ended up at the immigration office, and, to make a long story short, told him he was **** lucky to not get thrown in jail that instant. Turns out, they had told him two years ago that he needed to apply for a special permit to allow him into the country. Well, he didn't, and they turned him back. The permit costs like 300 bucks, plus, depending on how severe a case it is. Whoever told you to call ahead, and find out what you have to do to make it legal, in case they do detain you, gave good advice. If you get caught, they will turn you back, at the very least. Worst case scenerio is they throw you in jail on the spot, which, they have every legal right to do. Don't take the chance! Do it right, that way, you won't have anything to be afraid of.

Set the Hook!!

Lundman

[Guest]

This is absolutly true!The last time I tried to enter Canada we were randomly stopped at the border.We were asked if we had any misdimenor or felony charges.It did not even cross my mind that a DWI was even a misdemenor,but my wife mentioned to me that it was.She had a charge from 20 years ago and I had one from 17 years ago.We answered honestly and were refused entry because in Canada a DWI is a felony!If we did not aswer honestly I do not believe that they would have found these charges in our records since they are removed after 7 years.If your dwi is older than 7 years and you are asked about misdemenors or felonies do not tell them about a prior DWI.
All that being said we were asked if we wished to purchase a waiver for two hundred Canada.You can get a lifetime or a 3 day for the same price.You can only purchase the life time waiver during the week while a manager is on duty at the border.You can get the 3 day anytime.If you are concerned at all get your waiver ahead of time by contacting the border guard.
The worst part of our whole ordeal at the border was from the US border guards.The Canadians gave us a form that explained the reason for not being admitted to Canada to show to US customs.The US customs officer(punk kid in his maybee 20)decided to detain us and go through all our gear.They separated my wife and I and put us in sound proof rooms for an hour and a half while they took my boat,truck and all our gear completly apart.They did not even have the consideration to put things back in order.They just left us with a great big mess.Heck we never even got into Canada and they were given the reason why!This was just harrassment!At least the Canadians were polite and did not make a mess searching our property!By the way this all happened a year before 9/11.

[This message has been edited by fishhead (edited 01-29-2002).]

[Guest]

Heck...the easiest thing to do would be: Don't go to Canada...Stay in the good ol' USA and spend your hard-earned money here to keep our economy going instead of boosting theirs.

[minneman]

Fishead, the statue of limitations means nothing at the boder, if you have anything on your record, no matter how old, they know! They have access to anything and everything that you have done criminaly,
Im concerned about this as we have a trip planed for the end of Feb, and out of 6 guys only 1 of us hasnt got a DUI, We will be taking our chances!
There is a big thread on walleye central\canada\DUI, that covers this, there are alot of useful posts and also alot of slam, Us/Can. posts too, check it out if you plan a trip!
Either way this is going to be bad for Canada, and tourism, sounds like the resort owners and the like are trying to lobby their concerns, but could take a year to get something done like put a min. on old DUI's
Hey rick hows about a Canada fourm??

[This message has been edited by minneman (edited 01-30-2002).]

[Gissert]

Same thing happend to me last year going to the NW Angle. At Canadian Customs in Warrroad, the DUI question was asked. I had never had one, but my buddy had one in the mid 1980's. He got hauled inside, I had to wait in the truck. 20 minutes later, he came out, and the agent told us we had to go back to Minnesota, as my buddy was denied access. He was given a form to fill out and send to Immigration Canada. For the price of 2 or 3 hundred bucks and a six week wait, all his sins would be forgiven.

I asked the agent if we could have a waiver, since we were just passing thru Canada on our way to the Angle. No dice. We informed him that we were going back to Warroad, and my buddy was going to ride his sled across LOW to the angle. He laughed and said that was a common practice, but he could not suggest it. Very annoying, but the agent was professional and not a dink about it.

Went back to town, sent my buddy on his way. He rode his sled up to Stoney Point, and ran the border trail up to the Angle.

I turned around, and the agent just waved me through with a sheepish grin.

While on business in the early 1990's, I had a co-worker get yanked into interrogation at Customs in Calgary. The did a search on his records, and a really old DUI popped up. We had to get out company legal counsel involved in that case. It was a really ugly ordeal for him.

My advice for what it is worth: If you have a prior DUI, get the paperwork straightend out before you leave home.

[TUMBLEWEED]

This sounds like quite a money making machine
they got going here.You are a felon,but if you give us some money,we'll look the other
way.....What a bunch of you know what!!!
There may be another way of taking care of an old offense. You can have your record
expunged of the offense,stating that you are tired of all the hassles at the borders with
our Canadian "hiwaymen" I would think this would be an easy thing to do for an older
offense,like a DUI/DWI. A true felony might
be tougher to make go away. Any "legal" help
out there on this one.

[MNice]

Maybe the "good old USA" should take DWI/DUI as serious as Canada.

[The Chemist]

I wonder if this same rule applies for athletes? Does this Waiver apply for all past,present and future felonies?

[Jim W]

I guess it all depends on the border and the officer working at the time. I have spent the last 4 seasons ice fishing in Canada/Manitoba and a friend who was stopped at the border with open bottle etc. has no problem gettting across. I have never been asked that or asked for I.D. SO I am curious about this process. Is it something new?

[Guest]

There is a long thread on walleye central in the Canada forum on this issue, very long thread.

There is also some legal advice and links to where you need to contact before a trip if you have past offences they may drag up.
Canada takes this VERY SERIOUSLY.

So sneaking through and being caught on some stupid traffic ticket in Canada will put you in jail for sure!

I traveled back and forth from Canada 18 times last season and 4 after (9/11). They will ask, and it is up to you to disclose any violations.

They have access to the FBI and state records as soon as you pull up in the booth by checking the plate. They most likely will ask for documents from all passengers as well. Drivers license is a must or a passport, passport is better.

Plan ahead and check in with the Canadian and US regulations you will need to know.

That is my best advice to anyone who is planning a trip to Canada in 2002.

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"Ed on the Red"
Backwater Guiding Service
[email protected]
fishingminnesota.com/ed-on-the-red/

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 01-30-2002).]

[Guest]

I'm from the talk school of thought on this.

And I've drank and drove when I've more likely than not been legally drunk. Before you get too mad at me. Realize that almost all of us have at some point or another in our lives driven while legally drunk, it doesn't take all that much. I've never gotten a dui, and I don't drink and drive anymore. But if I had I gotten a dui I don't think that it should impact my decision on where to fish when I've graduated college, gotten married, had children, and then grandchildren.

Barring vehicular manslaughter, are you trying to tell me that something you did when you were young and dumb should impact whether or not your allowed to be somewhere? Especially if you've already paid your dues for that particular crime, not to mention that the crime you committed happened in a different country.

I must be too Americanized, but I think it's dumb that my dad has to worry about whether or not he can be allowed into canada over a DUI he got over 30 years ago.

I know the current practices have been in place for a while, and are nothing new. But come on, isn't the 20 grand+ raise in insurance, and the 1000 dollar fine enough of a price to pay for drinking 6 beers and driving, instead of 5?

At the same time. I think anyone who commits a crime, or gets into an accident while drunkdriving, should have stricter and harsher penalties.

[Guest]

I say we go to war against Canada!! Steal their back bacon and snow chains eh? Maybe some brews too you knobs.

[Guest]

d*mn straight hoser! :-p

[the squirrel]

Is there a narrow part of the rainy river i could boat across or swim while my buddy with a clean record drives across? I guess the first time they stop me will be my last time in that country even know i like the fishing. Thats to bad to because i could only imagine how many people with old dwi's bring in for $$$. I will be talking to the resort i am flying out of about this at the mpls sportsman show in march.

[Guest]

This to me sounds like a complete scam by the Canadian Government. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who do buy that $300 permit, just so they don't get left behind at the border by their group. Someone else had a very good point to combat this though... boycott Canada, and spend your money right here. If MN sportsmen boycotted Canada for a year or two, Canada would realize how much money they stand to lose and change their policy.... maybe??
Also, a DUI/DWI does NOT come off of your record in 7 years, maybe for insurance reasons, but not for law enforcement reasons. That is the point of the new law in Minnesota, if you get a DUI and you've already had a prior, it gets bumped from a 3rd degree DUI to a 2nd degree, and so on. Once it's your 4th DUI, it is a Felony in MN.

Good Luck,
Rusty

[cwmn]

DirtyB22, " Realize that almost all of us have at some point or another in our lives
driven while legally drunk, it doesn't take all that much." Speak for youreself. I know allot of people, who are hunters and fishermen,who wouldn't evan think about driving after having any alchol.
I guess everyone has consaquences to suffer for thier actions however long ago they happened.
If this is a way for the Canadian goverment to make money then that may or may not be right, depending how you look at it, but it's not our country it's thiers and they make the rules.
I agree with the idea that we should all keep our money in our country and in our economy.
" If you can't do the crime, don't do the crime" or at least that's what my daddy always said. Now I gotta go feed Fred.

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Have a good one!
CWMN

[fryguy]

I called the Canadien Embassy this afternoon in Minneapolis and this is what I was told. The woman explained that there is no statute of limitations on your offense and that you have 2 options. The first is to show up at the border and hopt to high heaven that the guard doesn't ask you and if he does you may still be allowed entrance, otherwise you can fill out some paperwork and shell out $200 canadien which translatesa to about $130 U.S. and receive a permenant pass into the country.

This raises 2 questions, first what do they base their decision making on at the border? And second, what if get one of these permits and then are stupid enough to get another DWI/DUI?

I was planning to take my son around Lake Superior this year, but maybe we will stay in the U.P. instead. Hate to get to Thunder Bay and find out I have to Turn around.

[Guest]

Cwmn "Speak for youreself. I know allot of people, who are hunters and fishermen,who wouldn't evan think about driving after having any alchol." I sure wouldn't now, but you could tell me that your friends that wouldn't think about drinking and driving now have always thought that way, and have never had 3-4 beers and then driven? Whether or not you admit it is one thing. Thats not even the point though.

"" If you can't do the crime, don't do the crime" or at least that's what my daddy always said."
That is my point, because anyone who gets a Dui in the states has already done the time so to speak.
So, I think it's safe to say I'm gonna boycott canada, no more of my hard earned dollars going into their economy. No more Cuban cigars while sittin in the bar after watchin a hockey game :-/

[This message has been edited by DirtyB22 (edited 01-30-2002).]

[Guest]

Like it or not, it's there country and there laws.

Any DWI or drug offence is considered a felony up there, no matter when you got it.

They just got more hard core about enforcing it the past 2 years.

Stupid, yah you betch ya, a profit scam, maybe so?

Deal is Eh, they take it serious and so should you, if you plan to cross.

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"Ed on the Red"
Backwater Guiding Service
[email protected]
fishingminnesota.com/ed-on-the-red/

[Guest]

A few years ago before some Canadian do gooders banned the spring bear hunt a group of use crossed and we were asked (at random I believe) to go into canadian customs there we were asked about citizenship and prior convitions. Myself and a friend had misterminor impaired covictins that were over 10 years old from N.Y.. Being honest we told them .Then were informed ( after I ovehear a 2 French Canadian Custom Officers in another room gooffing on us at the fact " We got a couple of ualls out there with dui's lets go to Canada on Vacation! "then we were told we are not alowed in but if we coughed up some cash we could obtain special permits to enter. Great so we paid for our permits( not to spoil every ones trip ) and also recived an application to fill so we would not have to go thru this again GET THIS "Application for criminal rehabiltaion ". After that trip I turned in my plates got new ones and I cross 6 times a year and havn't been stopped since if I do amnisia will set in .Its a money scam