Gun questions at Canadian border?

[mancat]

So I'm in Whistler BC right now with my wife and her family. When my wife and I passed through the Blaine, WA border crossing, I experienced the following exchange:

Me: Hi, here's our passports.
CBP lady: thanks. Is this address current?
Me: yes
CBP lady: where are you going, and for how long?
Me: resort condo at whistler, about five days.
CBP lady: do you own any firearms?
Me: yes (thinking this is an honest leadup to the next question)
CBP lady: Do you have any firearms in your car.
Me: no.
CBP lady: who's car is this?
Me: uhh, ours, but technically it's my wife's
CBP lady: have there ever been any firearms in this car?
Me: not for probably over a year.
CBP lady: what kind of firearms do you own?
Me (starting to think this is getting a little strange): uhh, do I actually have to answer that question?
CBP lady: yes.
Me: I own almost too many to list.
CBP lady (long pause and blank stare): what do you use them for?
Me (I'm starting to chuckle at this point): for my own personal enjoyment, maam.
CBP lady: ...ok, welcome to Canada
Me: thanks.

Is this par for the course at the Canadian border now? Didn't get any of this just last year. I can't think of anything I must have done to set off any red flags, other than the current political climate in the US.

My wife actually asked me after this happened, "do you think your name is on some list?" I want to say no, but who the hell even knows at this point?

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[speeddemon94]

Damn... And that is why I will not try and take even a hunting rifle when I move to Alaska.

Sounds to me like they are concerned people may be trying extra hard sneak weapons across and stash them or something of that sort.

 

[oknow]

Damn... And that is why I will not try and take even a hunting rifle when I move to Alaska.

Sounds to me like they are concerned people may be trying extra hard sneak weapons across and stash them or something of that sort.

take the ferry no problems with firearms that way

 

[deen_ad]

Why do they care what firearms I own if I'm not bringing them into Canada?

 

[speeddemon94]

take the ferry no problems with firearms that way

Yeah, going in October so am at the mercy of winter schedules...Don't seem to be any cross gulf trips that time of year...We are taking the ferry from Bellingham to Haines and then up.

 

[mancat]

Exactly. That's what threw me for a loop. I basically told her that it wasn't any of her business, if you read my response.

 

[EZLivin]

I cross one or two times per year and have never had any "firearms" questions beyond the usual "Do you have any firearms, alcohol, blah blah blah." Did she have an "I am an idiot" button on her uniform?

 

[CharonPDX]

Damn... And that is why I will not try and take even a hunting rifle when I move to Alaska.

Sounds to me like they are concerned people may be trying extra hard sneak weapons across and stash them or something of that sort.

Ship them.

 

[speeddemon94]

I hear Alaska Airlines does a freight thing...You can lock them in hard cases and then have someone fly them up to you. You just have to be on the other end to "catch" Or you'll be stored storage fees.

 

[mancat]

I cross one or two times per year and have never had any "firearms" questions beyond the usual "Do you have any firearms, alcohol, blah blah blah." Did she have an "I am an idiot" button on her uniform?

Younger girl, not too shabby looking. The only relevant question was "do you have any firearms in the car?" Everything else seemed to me to be questions from a person who doesn't like gun-owninf Americans, and thinks they're entitled to an explanation due to their supposed position of power. Can't think of any legit reason she had to ask these questions.

As far as traveling with firearms within the US, I have friends who do this when traveling to Montana or Alaska to hunt. Hard case, bolt removed, declared when checked in. Be careful picking it up; my friend had the airline leave his rifle in hard case just sitting outside the luggage claim office with the oversized luggage upon arrival.

 

[Spad]

They are children of the Queen, you know the outfit we fought with a few hundred years ago so we could have firearms. Luckily they have learned their lesson and are friendly, but are kinda hung upon the gun thing, see they aren't as free as us and it bugs them...Smile...Spad

 

[MountainBear]

You fared better than I did on my way up last April. Same sort of questions. Do you have any guns in the car? No. Do you carry a gun in Alaska? Yes, sometimes. Why don't you have your gun with you? Uhh, trying to be respectful of your laws, sir. Please pull over to lane five and go inside to see the desk sergeant. Over an hour later and assurances that I in fact am not a felon in possession of a gun, okay, you can leave...

Never again. Ferry. Bellingham to Whittier.

 

[mancat]

Last time I was in, I told them I was there for a job. Had to go into the border office and prove to them that A) in fact I did have a job to do, by showing them correspondance on my laptop, since I had no form of printed job order, and B) I had to explain why the company that contracted to me did not hire a Canadian. I said, it may have something to do with the fact that the only Canadian working for this company lives in Nova Scotia, while I live a couple hours south of BC. Whose travel bill do you think they want to pay for?

At least that time, the interviewer agreed that the requirement to prove this stuff was idiotic, but he had to do bis job. I have more respect for that then a prodding busybody CBP officer

 

[WAYNO]

And that's why I have no intentions of going to Canada. When I had my last opportunity of going to Canada for a road trip, I turned it down.

WAYNO.

 

[soberups]

Damn... And that is why I will not try and take even a hunting rifle when I move to Alaska.

Sounds to me like they are concerned people may be trying extra hard sneak weapons across and stash them or something of that sort.

My understanding (from people I know who have hunted in Canada) is that hunting rifles are no big deal to take across as long as you declare them, fill out the necessary paperwork, and pay a fee. Its the handguns that they get their panties in a big knot over.

 

[captqc]

Why should we put up with this crap, the Canadians don't have guns, there are only a couple million of them, let's kick their tails, take the place back (B.C. was at one time Oregon territory) and restore normalicy to the place, . I know, not PC. ound:

 

[nautox]

The Canadian Border Patrol has 2 functions:
1. Harass Americans, especially the evil gun owning ones.
2. Ensure returning Canadians have crammed their vehicles with as much crap from Costco as possible.

 

[CatCow]

The Canadian Border Patrol has 2 functions:
1. Harass Americans, especially the evil gun owning ones.
2. Ensure returning Canadians have crammed their vehicles with as much crap from Costco as possible.

Customs paperwork is a pain, going in either direction. But the Canadians are much friendlier than our CBP. Better looking, too. Went through Detroit/Windsor a few times when I was driving truck. Some good lookin chicks on the Canuckistanian side, and a bunch of mean lookin 300lbs hairy apes with their hands on their guns at the CBP checkpoints. Almost enough to make someone not want to come back.

 

[Nightcrawler]

I went across Blaine on Tuesday, and the only things he asked me were "what's the nature of your visit today" and "how long do you plan on being in Canada?".

 

[nehalemguy]

I crossed into Canada in 2011 with long guns for a moose hunt. I had talked with the Canadian authorities before going to be sure I had all the correct paperwork and declarations.

It really sounds like you got a fairly polite person to deal with in spite of the probing questions. The CBP personell are notoriously stern and are sometime downright jerks. I think it to be a tactic (interrogation like) to put pressure on violators and make them nervous. Really, if you think about it, the CBP is their first line of defense against all kinds of illegal stuff. We expect as much from our own.

P.S. When I went I was also asked if I had ever been arrested. I answered truthfully "yes". That added about another 30 minutes.