Crossing into Canada "carrying a weapon"?

bae

bae

Joined
Nov 21, 2001
Messages
848
I went through Customs into Canada the other day. As usual, they asked me "are you bringing any weapons into Canada?" (I wonder if it's my beard, but they ask me every single time!)

As usual, I responded "no", and they let me in, after chewing me out for not having a passport with me.

Then I got to thinking - what if they had searched my truck?

I had a Spyderco Endura in my pocket and a Spydercard in my wallet, my wife has at least one knife in her purse, there's a Spyderco Rescue, a Cold Steel SRK and Recon Scout, an axe, a Leatherman Wave, and a HI khukuri in the emergency supplies bag, a flare gun and flares, and a few other odds and ends.

I had remembered, as usual, to remove the firearms, but what about the other tools?

What would you do?
 
I don't know what I'd do. Probably leave them in Canada so that I wouldn't get busted going back over the border.
 
This was going into Canada from the US. I didn't even think of all this stuff as "weapons", just as plain old tools, until my wife had a few words with me...
 
All your knives are legal in Canada but I think the quantity of cutlery would have made Customs suspicious. I would have left at least half of them at home. The only knives not allowed are balisongs and automatics. Good thing you didn't bring any firearms because of the new Canadian gun control laws. Canadians need a possession license to own a gun and it is difficult for American tourists to bring guns into Canada. They even want all rifles and shotguns registered by the end of the year. Not sure how Canada Customs feels about flare guns-might be best to leave that home as well.
 
Flare Guns are probably the most justifyable, especially if you're going camping and have a bunch of other things that show that.

However, when in doubt, leave it at home. Customs officers have ultimate power where they work. They can do whatever they want and can not be held accountable, so bringing anything even 'suspicious' could cause problems. Mother of Pearl has caused some considerable problems from the US to Canada for some people I know, and that's not even a weapon.
 
One time I was crossing the border (I think the settlement is called "Boundary") on the Top of the World Highway from Alaska toward Dawson City, Yukon. I had a truck full of axes, knives, saws, a shotgun, and a rifle. The Canadian Customs person saw a Little League baseball bat (fish "bonker" for those big Canadian specimens) in my truck. She said that she would have to confiscate it as a "weapon that could be used against humans". After about 10 minutes of discussion, she suggested that I hide it in the back of the truck while crossing the border because if her supervisor saw it, I would lose it.

SHEESH!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top