In Manitoba this past December, there were 141,000 people processed for entry into Canada travelling in 53,300 vehicles and 14,500 commercial trucks. Officers finalized 95 permanent resident applications and issued 71 work permits and four study permits. Finally, 64 people were refused entry, mainly for previous criminal histories.
Here are a few events from Emerson and select border crossings in Manitoba last month:
Emerson
On December 1, three Winnipeg residents told officers they were returning from a same day snowboarding trip. During a secondary examination, officers found a food grinder in an unopened box, a vegetable slicer, and several bottles of vitamins and supplements. When questioned, the driver insisted they were all Canadian goods. As a result of further observations and questions by the CBSA officer, the driver admitted to ordering the items online and picking them up at a parcel service in Pembina. The goods were valued at $635.82 and the man paid the $254 penalty to reclaim them and apologized for wasting everyone’s time. Had he been truthful he would only have paid $31 in GST.
As a reminder to supplement consumers, please ensure the goods you are looking to buy in the United States are permitted in Canada. Health Canada regulates what may be imported into Canada. For more information, visit www.hc-sc.gc.ca or call 1-866-225-0709.
On December 3, a Winnipeg man declared a $30 pair of sunglasses he ordered online and claimed at a parcel service in Pembina. The man was referred for further examination where officers found a tactical vest that was still in the packaging. The driver admitted to purchasing the vest online with the sunglasses and also purchased a tablet computer. He stated he discarded the invoices and packaging prior to arriving at the port. The goods were valued at $700 and the man paid a $177 penalty to reclaim them. Had he been truthful he would have only paid $84 in GST and PST.
On December 12, a 30-year-old man claiming to be a professional online poker player was seeking to live in Winnipeg temporarily with his wife so he could continue to compete in online poker tournaments. They were refused entry as non-genuine visitors to Canada.
On December 16, a 47-year-old Minnesota man was refused entry for his criminal record including: spousal abuse, assault, possession of a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, and carrying a loaded firearm. He was returned to the United States.
On December 22, a Winnipeg man was importing a 1993 American sports car he declared at $1,350. Officers were suspicious of the declaration. The man repeatedly insisted he paid $1,350 for the car. It wasn’t until officers told the man there was evidence from an online ad that the same vehicle sold for $10,800, that he admitted the true purchase price. The vehicle was seized and he was required to pay $5,340 to reclaim it. Had he been truthful, he would have paid $540 in GST.
Boissevain
On December 16, a 44-year-old Brandon man was importing a 2009 SUV which he declared at $5,000. Officers found the price to be quite low. Further questioning revealed the man had actually paid $9,500 for the vehicle. The man paid a $1,775 penalty to reclaim the vehicle. Had he made a proper declaration he would have paid an extra $237 in GST.
On December 22, a 30-year-old Saskatchewan man was importing for his friend a $6,000 snowmobile that was purchased through an online ad. Officers noted the snowmobile was listed for $9,000. The importer then admitted it was purchased for $8,200 and that he and the seller falsified the bill of sale to save the buyer money on taxes. He paid an $869 penalty to reclaim the vehicle. Had he made a proper declaration he would have paid $410 in GST.
Tolstoi
On December 16, a mother and daughter failed to declare the true value of their purchases in the United States. They declared $1,000 in merchandise, but had actually spent $1,800. Officers also noted the pair had not been absent for 48 hours and therefore they were not entitled to the $800 personal exemption. The goods were seized and the pair paid a $350 penalty to reclaim them.
Winkler
On December 21, a southbound vehicle sped past the port, abruptly stopped, turned around towards the port and approached the canopy. Both occupants of the vehicle stated they missed their turn to Altona and hadn’t intended on entering the U.S., which is why they turned around. Officers could detect a marijuana odour and the couple explained they had smoked in the vehicle just a while ago. Officers examined the vehicle and seized four grams of marijuana and paraphernalia before allowing them to enter Canada.
Coulter
On December 1, a 42-year-old Colorado man and a 38-year-old Texas man were visiting Canada for the day. Background checks on the Texas man revealed assault, cruelty to children, and weapons offences. They were both returned to the United States.
On December 22, a family of four returning from a day trip failed to declare $550 in clothing and jewelry they had purchased. The driver claimed he forgot to declare the items. The items were seized and the man had to pay $160 to reclaim them. Had he made a proper declaration he would have paid $65 in GST and PST.
On December 27, a 33-year-old North Dakota woman was coming to visit her boyfriend. Officers determined she had insufficient funds to support a one-week stay in Canada and had been refused at other border crossings the same day. She returned to the United States.
CBSA Border Alert Service
The CBSA has introduced an E-mail Border Alert Service to notify clients when unexpected events cause a significant disruption to normal border services at any one of our busiest land border ports of entry. In Manitoba, these alerts are issued for the port of Emerson.
Examples of significant service disruptions that would generate a Border Alert include:
- Events that may cause border closures or significant delays
- Events causing significant impact to transportation modes
- Natural disasters – earthquakes, floods, significant storms
- Use of Force incidents or deployment of OC spray / baton / firearm which result in restricted access to or closures of ports of entry
- Occupational health and safety issues that result in border closures or significant delays
- Facility evacuations
To subscribe to the CBSA E-mail Border Alert Service, visit www.cbsa.gc.ca/alert-avis/ba-af-eng.html.
