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Old 06-05-2019, 07:44 PM   #1
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Crossing Into Canada

We have reservations at Jasper National Park and Banff National Park in Canada in early July. We are planning on entering Canada at the Sweetgrass-Coutts Border Crossing off of I-15 and would appreciate any info from those of that have driven into Canada on things to watch out for, etc. We have done quite a bit of research on documents required (passports), pet requirement, etc., but some unknowns still exist. Such as can we take for example small propane canisters for the grill? We've done some research on what foods are permitted and which are not (conflicting info). How long does it generally take to cross? Any suggestions or tips? Generally, any advise or comments are much appreciated. Thanks in advance
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Old 06-05-2019, 08:19 PM   #2
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Take your sunglasses off
Put the vehicle in Park
Look at the Customs agent in the eye
Answer the questions..
Do not volunteer any information
Do not take a gun
Do not take mace. Bear Spray is OK. It must have a picture of a bear on it and be ready for the agent to examine
Propane is fine.
Fresh fruits that are not from the US are going to be prohibited. This means you will lose your papaya mango and avocado ( probably).. Fresh Food should be identifiable with country of origin

Regs change often'

What Can I Bring Into Canada in Terms Of Food, Plant, Animal and Related Products? - Canadian Food Inspection Agency

there is a super Sobey's in Canmore. It has a great selection way beyond alot of US grocery stores. You have to go by Canmore to get to Banff. I would wait to buy food that you need in Banff and Jasper. Yes the market is that good.

Watch how much liquor cigarettes and wine you bring in.. Yes it is expensive in Canada.

Camt tell you how long it will take to clear Customs..Sometimes lines are long ( 45 min) and sometimes I am the only one.. The usual customs station I use has no line but its so seldom used the agent is Chatty Cathy. The cows nearby are not good talkers I guess.
I have not used the gate you will.. I used one at Glacier and I don't remember it being remarkable. I have crossed the border hundreds of times and I really don't have any that stand out aside from Alaska to Yukon ( the line was horrific) and Niagara..same.
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Old 06-05-2019, 08:45 PM   #3
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The only time we had any problem was when we crossed over in ND. They went through every compartment and cabinet in the MH. DIdn't confiscate anything, but it was still a Royal PITA....You will love Banff and the entire surrounding area. Enjoy your trip.
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Old 06-05-2019, 09:12 PM   #4
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We do it all the time. About once a month. We have a place outside of Windsor and cross the Ambassador bridge often from our drive from Chicago. Just started now with our brand new 2018 Melbourne 24L. No issues at all. No searches [yet]. Definitely no firearms or mace. No meats. A case of beer no issue. Now they also ask the cannabis question. Yes legal, but don’t bring it. For your dogs, rabies certificate from your vet, and no pit bulls. I grew up in Lethbridge and then moved Calgary, so also very familiar with Coutts-Sweetgrass. Same deal.
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Old 06-05-2019, 09:19 PM   #5
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What about long guns?
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Old 06-05-2019, 09:32 PM   #6
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Need to arrange a hunting license/certificate ahead of time and can definitely bring those in. Remember, in general us Canadians aren’t big on guns. No 2nd Amendment in Canada. We’re more into universal healthcare.
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Old 06-06-2019, 01:15 PM   #7
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What about long guns?
You cannot take any firearm just for the sake of taking it. IF your going to a hunting camp make sure you have your documentation with you, showing reservations etc.
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Old 06-23-2019, 03:42 PM   #8
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What about long guns?
Traveled to Alaska last summer (2018). Three RVs traveling together. Two of us took one shotgun and ten rounds each. Go online, fill out the form, take your 25 dollars Canadian and declare it at the drive-up window. They will probably have you pull over to inspect it and, by default, the rest of your RV.

BIG NOTE HERE: Upon recrossing back into the lower 48 (Montana), ICE officer want to see my U.S. Form declaring I owned the weapon the first time I crossed into Canada. I had forgotten that small step on our way north. You should stop on your way OUT OF THE U.S. to produce the weapon to U.S. Customs with that form and have it stamped just as if it was a passport for your weapon.

As with any government official, your particular encounter may be more lax or forgiving. But if you need the forms (guns, pets, whatever) and don't have them, well that's your fault and now your problem.
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Old 06-23-2019, 03:59 PM   #9
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We have reservations at Jasper National Park and Banff National Park in Canada in early July. We are planning on entering Canada at the Sweetgrass-Coutts Border Crossing off of I-15 and would appreciate any info from those of that have driven into Canada on things to watch out for, etc.
We used the port-of-entry west of that one, Carway, since we were coming from Glacier NP and St Mary, MT. Three of us RVs, two of us had to pull over to park and pay fee for our shotguns. One RV ahead of us, in which the Canadian Customs lady was conducting a thorough search. As we waited our turn, two 18-wheelers arrived and parked behind us.

Customs lady returned, finished with the RV people ahead of us. Advised us the commercial transits had priority. Fine, no worries. Took 2 minutes max to stamp their papers and then they left.

Next, it was our turn, but one at a time please. Declared our firearms and pets right away. No RV inspection, no weapon inspection. Took our passports, paperwork for guns and pets, and our money for the guns (C$25). Once we were in front of the Customs Official, our time expended was about 20 minutes each.

Banff = OUTSTANDING. And so was the Tunnel Mountain Campground, if that's where you're staying. Free transport to town and minimal fee to return to camp.

Couldn't get reservation in Jasper NP, had to use the Hinton/Jasper KOA about 40 minutes to the east. Okay campground, just more driving back to Jasper than we would have preferred. Looking forward to your report on the Jasper NP campsites.

Enjoy!
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Old 06-23-2019, 04:07 PM   #10
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....but some unknowns still exist. Such as can we take for example small propane canisters for the grill? We've done some research on what foods are permitted and which are not (conflicting info)... Thanks in advance
Our propane tanks (2 X 10 gal) were not an issue. Neither was any of the food we had, but we had NO FRESH FRUITS, DAIRY OR PRODUCE and I stated so to the Agent. Canada has plenty of grocery stores with which to stock your RV and it's not a big deal. Maybe the shotgun had their full attention, even the dog food was not inspected.
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Old 06-23-2019, 08:27 PM   #11
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Go to the source - https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-v...c-rnc-eng.html
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Old 06-23-2019, 10:18 PM   #12
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Our last visit included an hour long search of our toad ( we left the Seneca in NY )
They didn’t destroy anything but opened everything and left it upside down ( still open ) quizzed us on everything we owned ( we explained that we were full time RVers and the toad was extra storage ) after 30 minutes i offered to take my tourist $$ Back to the US because they ( customs ) didn’t want us in Canada anyway - they finally let us in but we made sure to not spend a penny and we agreed that we never needed to be treated like that again - we understand that our experience was just one person having a bad day and took it out on us ( and it could have been worse ) but no more trips to Canada for us Les
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Old 06-24-2019, 06:09 AM   #13
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That's too bad Les.. But for all, attitude counts.. If you get off on the wrong foot its all downhill. If it is your first time its natural all things are more thorough. If things are not "normal" its expected to be more thorough.
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Old 06-24-2019, 07:05 AM   #14
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We crossed the Rainbow Bridge @ Niagara Falls and went to the far left lane because it was empty and ran into a real jerk. The only time I've ever been hassled. Back home I was telling a friend about the experience, but hadn't mentioned the location. He commented that the only time he'd ever been hassled was at the Rainbow Bridge. He had gone to the far left lane because it was empty and ran into a real jerk. Apparently it was "Barney Fife's" regular spot and the locals knew to avoid it.
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Old 06-24-2019, 09:14 AM   #15
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Our last visit included an hour long search of our toad ( we left the Seneca in NY )
They didn’t destroy anything but opened everything and left it upside down ( still open ) quizzed us on everything we owned ( we explained that we were full time RVers and the toad was extra storage ) after 30 minutes i offered to take my tourist $$ Back to the US because they ( customs ) didn’t want us in Canada anyway - they finally let us in but we made sure to not spend a penny and we agreed that we never needed to be treated like that again - we understand that our experience was just one person having a bad day and took it out on us ( and it could have been worse ) but no more trips to Canada for us Les
I have to travel to Canada occasionally for work. It is rarely a pleasant experience. Even thougn we are a U.S. headquartered company, with a major R&D facility in Toronto, we are not immune to harrassment. I know that it goes both ways, as our Canadian counterparts experience the same when crossing over to the U.S. at times.

For my part, I see little reason to ever venture out of these 50 United States. There's not much that Canada offers that our northern states or Alaska don't already offer. The Carribean doesn't hold a candle to Hawaii, imo. Same for the Middle East versus the desert Southwest. Europe has it's charm, but if I never went there again I wouldn't miss it.

Now if only when we purchased Alaska we had also purchased a strip of land counting as U.S. soil, all the way from Washington State to Alaska, that would have been perfect!
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Old 06-24-2019, 09:41 AM   #16
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Our last visit included an hour long search of our toad ( we left the Seneca in NY )
They didn’t destroy anything but opened everything and left it upside down ( still open ) quizzed us on everything we owned ( we explained that we were full time RVers and the toad was extra storage ) after 30 minutes i offered to take my tourist $$ Back to the US because they ( customs ) didn’t want us in Canada anyway - they finally let us in but we made sure to not spend a penny and we agreed that we never needed to be treated like that again - we understand that our experience was just one person having a bad day and took it out on us ( and it could have been worse ) but no more trips to Canada for us Les
Works both ways.

Last winter crossing into the US @ Detroit we got raked over the coals for bringing in cash. Took us 3 hours to get cleared through. We dealt with two border agents who were the biggest **holes I've ever met. Until the head guy came over to find out what was going on and get us on our way I thought we'd be sleeping in the office. This was the first time in 4 winters we've had an issue. The few hours at the border were worth the 4 months in the SW even though the winter weather wasn't very good this year. Oh, we spent all that US$ before we got home too LOL
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Old 06-24-2019, 09:43 AM   #17
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Now if only when we purchased Alaska we had also purchased a strip of land counting as U.S. soil, all the way from Washington State to Alaska, that would have been perfect!
I'm sure we could have traded a strip of land between BC & Mexico so that us Canadians could avoid having to enter the US to get there.
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Old 06-24-2019, 10:10 AM   #18
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Growing up in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, we traveled across the border on a regular basis (people there still do, gas, groceries, etc. are a way of life and lots of people travel 1-2 times per week across the land crossings). I can't speak for other areas. I work for a large international company that is headquartered in the US and I travel to both Corp and to US-based customers fairly regularly. In my advanced age (nearing retirement I hope), in the thousands of crossings that I have made at both land and air crossings, I have never been treated unfairly or rudely.

The jobs that these people are doing is brutal and in the grand scheme of things, get very little respect in the scale of police and military organizations; however, they are the front line of defense against illegal drugs, weapons and work to protect our economies in terms of ensuring that tariffs and restrictions are fairly processed. Some things may seem to be unfair; however, they are simply enforcing the laws that they have been entrusted to.

That's not to say that some are not jerks. The badge weighs heavy on some individuals and they take it very seriously. In Canada, they hire summer students to handle the higher volumes of traffic. It's hit and miss with that. I have also seen want-to-be police officers that have not made the cut become border guards. These are generally the ones that are more extreme.

The best way is to be polite, make eye contact, be friendly, have all paperwork ready and be ready to be asked questions. If you are traveling north, be expected to be asked about firearms, alcohol and tobacco products. You may get asked a few different ways about firearms and in particular handguns. It will be 5-10 minutes at the most unless something doesn't sound right. Then it might be 30 minutes as they look through.

If you look at the grand scheme of things (never mind that you have been sitting in traffic for an hour or so depending on the crossing) it's a blip. If you are going to Starbucks for a coffee during the week, you may spend more time in line there. If you are on a 3-4 week trip, 30 minutes is nothing. Plan for the time and if you are shorter, bonus! You get to the campground, or your next stop sooner.

Enjoy the journey and don't let some jerk run your trip.
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Old 06-24-2019, 10:29 AM   #19
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The best way is to be polite, make eye contact, be friendly, have all paperwork ready and be ready to be asked questions...It will be 5-10 minutes at the most unless something doesn't sound right. Then it might be 30 minutes as they look through...Enjoy the journey and don't let some jerk run your trip.
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Old 06-24-2019, 12:35 PM   #20
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Not a thing I want to see again in Canada or Mexico..and I also avoid some states. I like to vote with my $$...don't like me great....I won't bother you or spend my $$ with you...no issues.
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