Busted for trying to sneak into Canada

[David in Sandusky]

We heard this from friends who have a summer home on Lake Erie at Point Abino, Ontario. Three of their friends wanted to check on their summerhouses at Point Abino. They sailed together across Lake Erie for a quick visit and check. When they tied up at they dock, they were met by Canadian immigration, and arrested. They were then fined $10,000 each for their illegal entry.

Sounds like testing COVID 19 immigration restrictions is not a good idea!

 

[jon hansen]

ouch!

 

[Brian D]

$10,000? Sounds like the Canadian Government is broke and needs money. LOL

 

[kappykaplan]

Reward (fine) definitely not worth the risk! Or should that be the other way around?

 

[Sailavie1]

Thanks for the donation. There was a story of US citizens traveling through Canada on their way to Alaska (with permission). They stopped in Banff to sight see and were busted and fined. Sorry, but no sympathy from this Canuck.

 

[jviss]

Sorry, but no sympathy from this Canuck.

Canadian hospitality.

 

[SoSound]

I saw a report that a Florida couple has been cited for not maintaining the required quarantine at their seasonal home. The potential penalties are up to a $750,000 fine and/or six months in jail.

 

[Mechone]

They will allow you to cross at a legal boarder which includes a test and 14 days of quarantine . They then check up on you at random . An American couple checking their cottage in Muskoka was not there when they checked and were fined 1000.00 each and shown the door.
Sounds like to me our government is interested in protecting us from death. LOL

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Canadian hospitality.

................... at its very best.

The actual numbers are "up to $750K and up to 6 months in The Queen's Hotel". They were let off with only $10K because Canadian Immigration liked them.

$10,000? Sounds like the Canadian Government is broke and needs money. LOL

Somebody has to pay for all the gov't assistance being given to our small businesses which are in danger of going under .

 

[Sailavie1]

Canadian hospitality.

No, just Canadian common sense based on a simple perception of the situation.

 

[Lazy1]

Somebody has to pay for all the gov't assistance being given to our small businesses which are in danger of going under .

Why don't they just print more money like we do!

 

[BrianRobin]

Canadian hospitality.

No , Canadian law, no excuse.period!

 

[Hunter216]

We heard this from friends who have a summer home on Lake Erie at Point Abino, Ontario. Three of their friends wanted to check on their summerhouses at Point Abino. They sailed together across Lake Erie for a quick visit and check. When they tied up at they dock, they were met by Canadian immigration, and arrested. They were then fined $10,000 each for their illegal entry.

Sounds like testing COVID 19 immigration restrictions is not a good idea!

So if they are property owners in the neighbourhood of the Buffalo Canoe Club it would be hard to believe they didn’t understand proper border crossing rules and the $10k is probably “affordable”.

Canada/USA border crossing was never loose and got a lot more serious after 911 and now we have a global pandemic raging.

I fail to see humour in any of the flippant comments!

 

[Meriachee]

And this is different than the uproar over the inability to get to Point Roberts, um, how?

 

[Scott B]

We heard this from friends who have a summer home on Lake Erie at Point Abino, Ontario. Three of their friends wanted to check on their summerhouses at Point Abino. They sailed together across Lake Erie for a quick visit and check. When they tied up at they dock, they were met by Canadian immigration, and arrested. They were then fined $10,000 each for their illegal entry.

Sounds like testing COVID 19 immigration restrictions is not a good idea!

This also applies to Canadians venturing over the Border to the US. I'm sure they would be visited very quickly by USCG and probably less polite?

 

[DayDreamer41]

We are in Port Huron MI the <mile wide St Clair river separates us from Sarnia Ontario, I am 100% certain if a Canadian attempted to cross illegally into the USA they would be rudely met by Homeland Security and it would not be pretty at all! On the way to the club you often see homeland security vehicles sitting in empty lots along the river.
We have a few members that have elected to store their boats in Sarnia (I am sure it is more cost friendly) but they are now without boats most likely for the whole 2020 season. I can't imagine being in the situation where having summer property or a boat which you can't get to due to the Covid-19 virus. Definitely strange times and who knows when it will relent.
Sailing the South end of Lake Huron we are not allowed to cross the international line between our countries, although I have been told that we may use the Canadian side of the St Clair river to get to the lake as there are many sailboats whose power plants are not able to fight the swift current of the St Clair river, personally I stay on the US side as do not want to test the theory.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Wow! What would have have happened if covid was happening during the Vietnam draft?

 

[jviss]

So, Canadian border enforcement officers are more polite than US border enforcement officials? Got it.

 

[Meriachee]

So, Canadian border enforcement officers are more polite than US border enforcement officials? Got it.

Polite, probably. Accommodating in light of the circumstances, not so much.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Just learned the rest of the story: The were told they now have a lifetime prohibition on entering Canada.

I would add that only occasionally do US immigration officers rise to the level of courtesy of our experience with Canadian immigration officers. And I have a couple of personal stories of downright mean, militaristic treatment from US immigration.

The original post was to show that our neighbors are serious. I assume we match that approach. And neither immigration operation has much to do other than catch violators at this point. No pleasant day trips to Pelee Island to say hi to the Yankees at Scudders, for instance.