July was a busy month for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers in ports across southern Manitoba. Traffic volumes rose due to increased vacationing during the summer, with officers at the port of Emerson, Manitoba’s busiest land border port, processing a total of 120,036 travellers in 38,525 cars and 17,700 commercial trucks. Officers issued permanent residency status to 170 people, as well as 101 work permits and 17 study permits. They also denied entry to 177 foreign nationals for various reasons, including criminality.
Here are some border highlights for the month of July:
Tolstoi
On July 1, a pair of Iowa residents, aged 74 and 72, were en route to Alaska. They told officers they had no firearms, weapons, or personal protection devices. Upon secondary examination to verify their declaration, officers found and seized a prohibited stun gun from the front console of their truck. The travellers said they had forgotten it was in the vehicle and were issued a $500 penalty. They proceeded into Canada.
Coulter
On July 4, a 35-year-old Manitoba woman declared $790 in purchases plus one litre of alcohol. During secondary examination, officers found undeclared jewelry in the woman’s luggage, in addition to receipts listing other undeclared purchases. She admitted to not declaring nearly US$2,950 in jewelry, clothing, and miscellaneous goods. She was issued a penalty of approximately $850. Had she been truthful, she would have paid approximately $150 in taxes.
Emerson West Lynne
On July 7, a 28-year-old Manitoba resident declared a 2005 sports car at US$18,000. After further questioning by officers, the man admitted that he was trying to save money on taxes and had actually paid US$27,000 for the car. He was issued a penalty of approximately $5,250 before proceeding into Canada. Had he been truthful from the onset, he would have paid less than $1,450 in taxes.
On July 8, a 69-year-old Florida resident declared three firearms and a can of bear spray. Officers conducted a secondary examination and found an undeclared switchblade in the centre console of his vehicle and an overcapacity gun magazine in the trunk. Both prohibited items were seized without terms of release. The man was issued a penalty of $1,000 and continued into Canada.
On July 9, two 36-year-old Manitoba residents arrived at the port, one of whom declared and presented a bill of sale for a camping trailer at US$2,500. After lengthy interviews with officers, the buyer admitted to actually paying US$3,500 for the trailer, and said he had undervalued the vehicle to save on taxes. The man was issued a penalty of almost $600. Had he been truthful, he would have paid less than $200 in taxes.
On July 10, a 54-year-old Pennsylvania resident arrived at the port in a pick-up truck and declared no firearms or weapons. He also advised he did not have currency totalling $10,000 or more. However, officers uncovered an undeclared can of pepper spray in the driver’s door panel and a blue case behind a back seat that contained envelopes and sunglasses cases. Inside were stacks of United States currency and savings bonds. Officers also found gold and silver coins in a peanut butter jar and another plastic container. In total, he had failed to declare almost US$81,000 in cash and bonds, plus almost US$17,700 in gold and silver. The pepper spray was seized and he was issued a penalty of $2,500 and proceeded into Canada.
On July 12, a 42-year-old Manitoba resident declared a 2007 boat, trailer, and motor at US$7,000 and presented a bill of sale. Officers were suspicious of the declaration, and determined the value was actually US$14,950. During secondary examination, they uncovered that the woman had asked the seller to create a false receipt. The woman was issued a penalty of almost $4,550. Had she been truthful, she would have paid less than $800 in taxes.
On July 15, a 30-year-old Manitoba resident was returning from a day-trip and initially declared no purchases, but later said he had bought one pound of coffee. During a further examination, officers found bags full of coffee mugs and multiple parcels. The man said the mugs were all purchased in Canada, but officers found a receipt that indicated he had paid US$95 to pick up 23 parcels in North Dakota. When confronted, the man admitted that he had acquired 48 coffee mugs for more than US$2,100. He was issued a penalty of almost $1,350. Had he been truthful, he would have paid approximately $100 in taxes.
On July 15, a 33-year-old United States resident travelling as part of a musical stage crew initially stated he had never been arrested, but later volunteered that he had been arrested for a DUI in California that had been dismissed. Through further background checks, officers determined that he had been convicted for inflicting corporal injury to a spouse/cohabitant. The man was refused entry and returned to the United States.
On July 15, a 54-year-old Saskatchewan resident was importing a classic car, and presented a bill of sale for US$22,000. Officers determined the declared price was unusually low, and questioned the man about the rest of the money he had brought into the United States. He admitted he had actually paid US$32,000 for the car, and had also failed to declare US$14,000 in auto parts. The man was issued a penalty of almost $5,750, and continued into Canada. Had he been truthful, he would have paid less than $2,400 in taxes.
On July 23, a 42-year-old Minnesota resident was seeking entry into Canada for a short day-trip, and told officers about his criminal record. Officers verified convictions of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and criminal vehicular operation resulting in bodily harm. The man was refused entry and returned to the United States.
On July 25, a 66-year-old resident of Manitoba was importing a 1974 sports car at US$5,000, and a small amount of alcohol and miscellaneous items. Officers questioned the man about the vehicle price, which he maintained was accurate. While officers were completing paperwork, the man came forward and admitted he had actually paid US$6,200 for the sports car. He was issued a penalty of almost $680. Had he provided an accurate declaration from the onset, he would have paid approximately $300 in taxes.
On July 27, a pair of Manitoba residents, aged 33 and 35-years declared a dog at US$500. However, officers determined the actual price was US$1,300 and found a handwritten record of the price in the vehicle. The pair admitted they had requested a false bill of sale from the seller. The two were issued a penalty of $170. They admitted to trying to save money on taxes, yet, had they been truthful, they would have only paid $65 in taxes.
Sprague
On July 15, a 65-year-old Minnesota resident told officers he had left all of his firearms at a camp in the United States. Officers noticed gun-cleaning equipment in the man’s vehicle, and during a secondary examination, found rifle ammunition in a compartment of the vehicle. In the back of the truck, officers also uncovered a prohibited .22-calibre revolver packed in a briefcase. Officers arrested the man, who was later released with a $1,000 penalty. He returned to the United States.
On July 26, a 49-year-old resident of the United States was seeking entry to deliver trailers to a commercial importer in Manitoba. Officers conducted routine background checks and found he was inadmissible to Canada for convictions of breaking and entering and burglary, in addition to a larceny charge. The man was advised of the requirement of how to overcome inadmissibility if he plans to enter Canada, and returned to the United States.
CBSA in the Community
The CBSA often visits community groups to promote its role in protecting Canadians. On June 3, two officers from the port of Emerson attended Morris School. They made a presentation to Grade 1 and Grade 2 students, displayed some of the CBSA’s tools used at the border, and provided a detector dog demonstration.
Reminder to summer travelers:
In order to minimize wait times at the border, please consider crossing at non-peak times before the afternoon rush begins. You can stay updated on wait times at major ports including Emerson by visiting www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/bwt-taf/menu-eng.html or by subscribing to Border Wait Times on Twitter.
When returning to Canada, have all of your receipts ready and be prepared to make an accurate declaration. The single best thing you can do to save time returning to Canada is to simply be open and honest with the CBSA officer. If you are not sure about what to declare, don’t hesitate to ask. The officers are there to help you.
Also, be aware of your personal exemptions. The 24-hour exemption is now $200, with full details available on the CBSA website. For your convenience, there is a Duty and Taxes Estimator on the CBSA mobile site.
Passports at the International Peace Garden:
Remember, visiting the International Peace Garden does constitute exiting Canada. When travelling to the International Peace Garden, while not mandatory, a passport is the preferred form of identification to expedite your processing when re-entering Canada.
