Montreal Border Crossing

[kphoger]

the only gringo crossing the border on foot

Seriously?

evening

Actually that says a lot right there.  There's a world of difference between night and day–in fact, it's like night and day.

[mtantillo]

Just passed NEXUS interview. They were really curious why I wanted it when I only come to Canada a couple times a year, but the , "I frequently visit friends in the Buffalo area and pop over for a short time, and don't like waiting in the border lineup" seemed to work just fine. 

US side pretty much just explained how land crossings work, Canadian side wanted to know how often I thought I'd use it, business or pleasure, where I cross, and gave the stern warning to over-declare if in doubt. 

Then had to go to a different office to meet with US for photo and fingerprints, then meet again with Canadians for iris scan, so a total of 4 stops.  My eyesight is bad enough that the iris scan machine won't work with my glasses, so I have to take them off to enter Canada via air...

[mtantillo]

And today I came back stateside, and used my Global Entry card in the NEXUS lane at the peace bridge. The main lanes were congested and almost back to the bridge, easily a 25
Minute wait. In the NEXUS lane there were 6 cars ahead of me, and I cleared in 3 minutes. A couple more of those and NEXUS will easily be worth it....

[Henry]

Here's a map of what the A-35 extension to I-89 will look like upon completion later this year:



Also, here's a notice of the changes regarding the existing route on its montrealroads.com page:

NEW EXIT NUMBERS FOR THE EXISTING A-35: Upon the scheduled completion of the A-35 extension south to the Quebec-Vermont border in late 2013, the extended autoroute will have the existing interchanges renumbered as follows:

EXIT 40 (existing EXIT 3): QC 104 East
EXIT 43 (existing EXIT 6): QC 133 North
EXIT 44 (existing EXIT 7): QC 223
EXIT 46 (existing EXIT 9): QC 219
EXIT 48 (existing EXIT 11): QC 223 / QC 104 West
EXIT 51 (existing EXIT 14): St. Andre Road
EXIT 55 (existing EXIT 18): A-10 / Eastern Townships Autoroute

So this means that all three Interstates (I-87/A-15, I-89/A-35 and I-91/A-55) will connect to an Autoroute by 2014.

[webfil]

Here's a map of what the A-35 extension to I-89 will look like upon completion later this year:

I would be surprised that A-35 be completed this year. The first 24.5 km between Iberville and Saint-Sébastien will open in 2014. In 2010, the last 13.4 km towards was scheduled to be inaugurated in 2017, although the northernmost section was planned to open in 2013 at that time...

Here's the page of the project.

[leroys73]

Crossed many boarders in Europe during the 60s as US citizen. A buddy and I drove to Greece via Yugoslavia in August 1968 (Russians rolled tanks into Prague). We were only asked routine questions and showed my passport. Only once was I searched. It was midnight crossing into Italy from Austria south of Innsbruck through the Brenner Pass. Never been searched there before. There had been terrorists activity and it was very late. We were three young college boys and I am sure we did not have the right answers as we had not planned to travel south of Innsbruck. We weren't detained long. 

In '74 I drove into Mexico with no problem. Returning to the US we were about to be searched. I can understand why as we were two young guys with beards and a loaded car, no drugs just a few beers. I started to take things out of my VW when a guard came out and talked to the other guard and we were sent on our way. In the 2000s I made a few trips to Mexico without problems but it was with a church group.

In '74 a buddy and I were on our way to Alaska. We crossed near Glacier Nat'l Park. I was carrying a 357. The guard asked the usual questions and I said I had the gun. I thought it was OK but he politely told me it wasn't but I could leave it there and pick it up on my way back. I did. Boy have things changed. I don't do that anymore. US entry was a wave.

I have crossed into Canada several times at Sault Saint Marie. Once late at night when the Olympics were in Montreal ('76) we were about to be searched. They were very concerned about a TV we had (we were going to a fishing cabin without TV but we wanted to watch the Olympics with "rabbit ears") so the search was almost on. After declaring and paying tariff on having too much food, we went on our merry way, no search. Return was routine.

All other crossings since were almost a stop and go. ID shown, where you going, anything to declare, and have a nice day. At Winsor I don't think we even stopped.

My last crossing at Sault Saint Marie in 2010 by motorcycle was very different. I saw no cars period. Not even in the search area. Odd, as I remember on my fishing trips there was some sort of line. It was mid day, mid week. I stopped at the "guard station" and waited for someone to appear. I had my passport easy to reach. The guy said something to me. I did not really understand him very well. I told him I was going to ride around Lake Superior. He never even saw my passport. He did not ask any questions. He told me to have a good time. I did.

When I crossed back into the US south of Thunder Bay (a line) it was pretty routine. I believe I did show my passport. I was asked where I lived, anything to declare, and my license plate number which I did not know but volunteered to get off my motorcycle and look. He said he'd look at it, which he did. Have a good day and on my way.

I know it is random and work from leads for the most part but one's attitude, body English, time of day, and what else is going on is all part of it. I don't want to be searched because it is a pain to unload everything and then reload it all. However, I know it is their right to do that. I will bitch about it later but at the border it is all yes sir, no sir and as said above I only answer the questions asked and very politely.

I hope the ones in September from Vermont to Quebec, NB to Maine, Maine to NB, NB back to Maine go smooth. But I'll have everything in order so only time will be lost.

[deathtopumpkins]

I can chime in on this thread now that I've crossed the border (as of a few weeks ago).

Entering Canada from I-89 was uneventful, just asked the purpose of our visit and how long we'd be staying, and scanned our passports.

Crossing back into the U.S. at Rouses Point (QC 223/US 11) on the other hand took 2 hours (even though there was a line of only ~20 cars in front of us), and we were not searched, but pretty thoroughly interrogated. They wanted to know all about our personal lives, and then lectured me about how "stupid" it was for me to have driven to Canada from Massachusetts and back in one day. All while the car was surrounded by armed CBP officers and dogs, staring at us.

Fairly painless, but it shocked me how much more difficult it was to return to a country my family has been citizens of for several generations than to leave it for another.

[agentsteel53]

how "stupid" it was for me to have driven to Canada from Massachusetts and back in one day. All while the car was surrounded by armed CBP officers and dogs, staring at us.

fuck that; I once drove from Ann Arbor to Canada non-stop.

I crossed in Sweetgrass, Montana.

[corco]

Yeah that's ridiculous- I drove from Madison WI to Lincoln NH via Port Huron ON and Sherbrooke QC nonstop once and only got regular questioning into Canada and a good search for booze going back into the US, but nobody commented on how far we had driven

[vdeane]

I've gotten that before, both directions in the same trip, and it wasn't even that far of a drive!  I guess it's because "normal" people hate driving, so they're suspicious of people who obviously don't mind.

[corco]

That sounds like one of those questions asked just to trip you up and see if your story is straight- similar to the " if you're from Montana why are you crossing at Eastport [US 95 Idaho] instead of Roosville [US 93 Montana]" question I got last time I entered Canada, which was asked after I explained that the purpose of my trip was to "sightsee new things"

[deathtopumpkins]

That sounds like one of those questions asked just to trip you up and see if your story is straight- similar to the " if you're from Montana why are you crossing at Eastport [US 95 Idaho] instead of Roosville [US 93 Montana]" question I got last time I entered Canada, which was asked after I explained that the purpose of my trip was to "sightsee new things"

I figured that's what it was, so I responded with "Well, I thought it was fun."

He then actually said "Yeah I'll bet until you got here."

I didn't bother telling him that it's because I love driving and the trip was a birthday present from my mother, though he clearly knew it was my birthday since he had my passport.

[Duke87]

In a way it somewhat makes sense: if the place you are crossing is not on a direct route between where you say your origin and destination points are, that is a potential red flag that you might be lying about where you were and what you were doing, so the customs agents may be inclined to probe further... sometimes. I've gotten searched for crossing in a backwater spot for no apparent reason. But on another occasion in a similar spot I was waved through after 30 seconds of questioning so the agent could go back to napping.

Incidentally, the latter occurred at... Rouses Point/US 11. A much different experience from yours!

[oscar]

In a way it somewhat makes sense: if the place you are crossing is not on a direct route between where you say your origin and destination points are, that is a potential red flag that you might be lying about where you were and what you were doing, so the customs agents may be inclined to probe further... sometimes. I've gotten searched for crossing in a backwater spot for no apparent reason. But on another occasion in a similar spot I was waved through after 30 seconds of questioning so the agent could go back to napping.

Incidentally, the latter occurred at... Rouses Point/US 11. A much different experience from yours!

As I mentioned way upthread, that was one of the few border crossings where I used a "roadgeek" explanation for why I was crossing there (in that case, trying to clinch the north end of US 11), which worked fine for me. 

[Dr Frankenstein]

Crossing back into the U.S. at Rouses Point (QC 223/US 11) on the other hand took 2 hours (even though there was a line of only ~20 cars in front of us), and we were not searched, but pretty thoroughly interrogated. They wanted to know all about our personal lives, and then lectured me about how "stupid" it was for me to have driven to Canada from Massachusetts and back in one day. All while the car was surrounded by armed CBP officers and dogs, staring at us.

Dafuq?

Making that comment is none of his f'ing business. I went to Boston and back in a day before, and nothing should prevent you from doing it. Also, I've never been surrounded by CBP agents with dogs while I was in the customs lane before. However, it's happened to me while I was in the secondary coming back in Canada, sans the dogs... I let them search my car without saying a word (unless asked a question) until they got tired of it.

[deathtopumpkins]

In a way it somewhat makes sense: if the place you are crossing is not on a direct route between where you say your origin and destination points are, that is a potential red flag that you might be lying about where you were and what you were doing, so the customs agents may be inclined to probe further... sometimes. I've gotten searched for crossing in a backwater spot for no apparent reason. But on another occasion in a similar spot I was waved through after 30 seconds of questioning so the agent could go back to napping.

Incidentally, the latter occurred at... Rouses Point/US 11. A much different experience from yours!

I must have gone through on an unusually busy day then, because there was a fairly lengthy backup. Hardly a sleepy crossing then.

Dafuq?

Making that comment is none of his f'ing business. I went to Boston and back in a day before, and nothing should prevent you from doing it. Also, I've never been surrounded by CBP agents with dogs while I was in the customs lane before. However, it's happened to me while I was in the secondary coming back in Canada, sans the dogs... I let them search my car without saying a word (unless asked a question) until they got tired of it.

That's what I thought. I refrained from saying anything snarky in response though because I had already been sitting there for 2 hours and still had a long drive ahead of me, so I didn't want to be delayed any more. I could tell he was just itching to find some excuse to send us to secondary.

I just can't get over how the entire setup was so tremendously different from the setup entering Canada.


Also, I've been curious ever since why they couldn't have one of the officers standing around watching us open up one of the other lanes so people didn't have to wait 2 hours?

[realjd]

I can chime in on this thread now that I've crossed the border (as of a few weeks ago).

Entering Canada from I-89 was uneventful, just asked the purpose of our visit and how long we'd be staying, and scanned our passports.

Crossing back into the U.S. at Rouses Point (QC 223/US 11) on the other hand took 2 hours (even though there was a line of only ~20 cars in front of us), and we were not searched, but pretty thoroughly interrogated. They wanted to know all about our personal lives, and then lectured me about how "stupid" it was for me to have driven to Canada from Massachusetts and back in one day. All while the car was surrounded by armed CBP officers and dogs, staring at us.

Fairly painless, but it shocked me how much more difficult it was to return to a country my family has been citizens of for several generations than to leave it for another.

That's HIGHLY unusual on the CBPs part. My guess is that they must have received some specific intel they were acting upon. Usually the setup entering the US is nearly identical to the setup entering Canada, with my personal experiences skewing toward curt/rude Canadian officers and friendly US CBP officers.

The comment about driving there and back in one day may have been simply to gauge your response. While your trip is harmless, it is uncommon and they usually ask about unusual things.

[agentsteel53]

That's HIGHLY unusual on the CBPs part. My guess is that they must have received some specific intel they were acting upon.

"we've got a report of a stupid man who is driving to Canada and back in one day."

[deathtopumpkins]

I can chime in on this thread now that I've crossed the border (as of a few weeks ago).

Entering Canada from I-89 was uneventful, just asked the purpose of our visit and how long we'd be staying, and scanned our passports.

Crossing back into the U.S. at Rouses Point (QC 223/US 11) on the other hand took 2 hours (even though there was a line of only ~20 cars in front of us), and we were not searched, but pretty thoroughly interrogated. They wanted to know all about our personal lives, and then lectured me about how "stupid" it was for me to have driven to Canada from Massachusetts and back in one day. All while the car was surrounded by armed CBP officers and dogs, staring at us.

Fairly painless, but it shocked me how much more difficult it was to return to a country my family has been citizens of for several generations than to leave it for another.

That's HIGHLY unusual on the CBPs part. My guess is that they must have received some specific intel they were acting upon. Usually the setup entering the US is nearly identical to the setup entering Canada, with my personal experiences skewing toward curt/rude Canadian officers and friendly US CBP officers.

The comment about driving there and back in one day may have been simply to gauge your response. While your trip is harmless, it is uncommon and they usually ask about unusual things.

That's understandable. I'd even expect them to find that suspicious, and maybe use it as cause to ask me a few more questions.
That doesn't make it okay for him to tell me my travel plans are stupid though.

[Dr Frankenstein]

with my personal experiences skewing toward curt/rude Canadian officers and friendly US CBP officers.

IMO, it probably depends on which country you're a citizen of, since my experiences are pretty much the opposite.

[agentsteel53]

IMO, it probably depends on which country you're a citizen of, since my experiences are pretty much the opposite.

for me, the Canadians are cold but professional.  the US folks - coming back from Canada - always give me the whole 9 yards.  I've been held for an hour and a half, and when I noted that I had to use the bathroom, the interrogating officer just made some remarks on his pad of paper. 

coming back from Mexico, the US border patrol is generally friendly at the actual border, and kinda impatient/bored at the internal checkpoints.  at the smaller border stations, one can actually expect real conversation (see: Sasabe).

[ethanhopkin14]

The first time I came trough Highgate Springs (I-89), it was not a pleasant experience. I enerered Canada from Detroit at Windsor and in Canada I got sent to the special room while they searched my car. They were unawhere what tags I had just because they were Texas tags, so they gave me a little crap for that, and for me saying I was either going to London or Toronto depending on how far I could go since it was already late (I drove from Texas to Cape Girardeau, MO the day before and from Cape Girardeau to there the next, so I was exhausted). Apparently, they don't like it if you just say,"I am gonna drive until I can't anymore."  They also had to access and go through my brother's laptop for some reason.  But, I braved it all and I got to drive all of Ontario 401 and Autoroute 20!!! But back to the I-89 crossing, I am not sure how much progress they have made extending Autoroute 35 to the border, since I haven't crossed there in 2 years, but the first time I crossed back into the US, it was days before New Years Eve, and I pulled up the the Customs Officer and she looked all over the car and wanted to know where we were headed. I paused for a second because I was about to say that it doesn't make any difference since I am going into my country, but I was a good boy and said I was headed to New York to watch the ball drop for New Years in Times Square. She the said, "why come all the way up here?  They don't have New Years in Texas?"  I was getting angry and I should have reported her, but I can't believe that I get more crap from the country I am a citizen of. I mean, it's a free country, but we will give you a bunch of crap if you leave, because it is a utopia!!!


I swear, I get less crap coming back from Mexico than coming back from Canada. Maybe it is because on the Canadian border everyone is bored so they f with people for the hell of it, and everyone lives in the boonies and they get bitter about people being on vacation and actually enjoying their life. On the Mexican border everyone has a serious job to do so they are very professional.

[J N Winkler]

That's understandable. I'd even expect them to find that suspicious, and maybe use it as cause to ask me a few more questions.

That doesn't make it okay for him to tell me my travel plans are stupid though.

This is the kind of situation where it would be useful to have a transcript of what was actually said, just to get a more precise idea of the motivations underlying the various questions.  In the absence of a more detailed understanding of the context, I would tend to interpret the characterization of your itinerary as "stupid" as an attempt to provoke you into saying something that would give them a reason for additional search.  The question then becomes:  what about your car or you and the people with you might have given the CBP officers the impression that looking at you more closely would be fruitful?

[oscar]

This is the kind of situation where it would be useful to have a transcript of what was actually said, just to get a more precise idea of the motivations underlying the various questions.

Probably not useful to CBP, though.  In secondary searches, CBP seems to make a point of separating you from your cellphone and other electronic devices, whether or not they try to search the data on them.  My guess is that they don't want the proceedings to be recorded, unless they control the record.

[agentsteel53]

Probably not useful to CBP, though.  In secondary searches, CBP seems to make a point of separating you from your cellphone and other electronic devices, whether or not they try to search the data on them.  My guess is that they don't want the proceedings to be recorded, unless they control the record.

that sounds plausible.  I was instructed, prior to getting sat down in the Special Room while my car was given a secondary search, to leave behind two items: 1) a leatherman tool which I had declared when asked 'do you have any weapons on you', and 2) my cell phone. 

from what I could tell, my phone was untouched.  I left the two items on the driver's seat and there they were, waiting for me.