Repeat After Me

Dear neighbourly Americans.  A word of advice:  When travelling to Canada as a visitor however briefly; as a tourist, to look for employment or for any other reasons, do not bring firearms into the country.  Americans coming into Canada across our friendly border, bring with them firearms, often enough restricted ones and often too, fully loaded restricted firearms. 

The Canada Border Services Agency in Coutts, Alberta made a sizeable seizure of a cache of firearms and weapons, found in the pickup truck of a 54-year-old Florida man.  The cache included 75 firearms, including 48 handguns.  Four of the handguns were loaded.  There was in addition one blowgun, one pistol crossbow, and twelve high-capacity magazines.

In all likelihood, though the Border Services Agency doesn't say, these weapons were meant for a quick and lucrative sale in Canada.  A gift from the United States of America.  Forbidden, but valued by thugs of the Canadian variety. 

Most Americans who bring in prohibited weapons simply claim to have no knowledge that they are forbidden entry to Canada.  Many 'forget' that they're carrying such weapons in their vehicles.

Border agencies across the country have taken possession of 317 prohibited, non-restricted and restricted firearms this year so far, an increase over previous years.  Of course there's no way of knowing how many come in undetected.

 "It's not unusual that people cross the border and don't have a current awareness that there's a weapon in their car", claims a lawyer practising criminal law in Vancouver.  "The people I've [represented] are very decent people - no criminal record, leaders of their community, quite often, having been cited by their municipalities, let alone their states, for citizenship."  

Another lawyer, practising in Windsor Ontario, cites "cultural differences" leading to these gun ownership cases travelling into Canada.  "For him to have a gun in his car was no different from a Canadian having a map in his glovebox.  He was coming over to Windsor and he wanted to, believe it or not, get some take-out food.  Sadly, [he was] ignorant of the law which doesn't afford a legal excuse.  That fellow spent three or four weeks in jail."

Then there was another story, of a pack of southern ministers coming through Windsor to attend a convention.  "A lot of them were armed because they always are."  There are three defences, claimed one lawyer: "One is 'I did not know it was there'.  Second is 'I forgot'.  Third, which is not really a defence, is 'I'm sorry'."  

"If you admit to having a gun, usually they'll seize it and make you turn back.  But once a person crosses the border with a gun, they are not licensed and neither is their gun, giving officials grounds to arrest them.  If you're going to deny it's there and they have to put you through inspection to find it, you're going to be charged.  They could come down much harder than they are."

Is it all that hard for Americans to read?  There is signage indicating that Canada does not allow guns over the border.  Repeat after me: "I'm going to Canada, and in Canada I'm not allowed to carry a gun."

Canada has its rules and its regulations.  The United States does, too.  When travellers from Canada cross the border American Border Agents want to know if there are any citrus fruits being carried into the States by Canadians. 

Say no, and they find a tangerine in a packed lunch and they get really, really ugly.  Your tangerine will be confiscated, tossed into the trash, and you will be informed if you don't like it, they could always fine you several hundred dollars instead.

Take your pick: Canada guns; America oranges.