It's never a dull day for border officers with the Canadian Border Services and Saskatchewan crossing saw their share of travellers this summer. 

Luke Reimer, Communications Officer with the CBSA, shares some of the highlights from the last few months.

"On June 12th, officers at North Portal seized a .38 caliber pistol from the sleeper area of a commercial truck. The driver was arrested, paid a $1,000 penalty and was allowed to return to the United States. Then on June 16th, officers at Coronach, SK seized a loaded handgun from a suspected impaired driver. The driver was arrested and turned over to RCMP. The man also paid a $1,000 penalty for failing to declare the gun and he was ultimately denied entry for committing offences."

"On July 9th, officers at the Torquay border crossing seized two loaded handguns from a first time visitor to Canada. He was arrested, issued a $2,000 penalty and allowed to return to the United States."

"On August 5th, officers at Estevan Highway seized a stun gun which is a prohibited weapon from a Minnesota woman. She paid a $500 penalty for declare it before she was allowed to continue into Canada. On August 6th, officers at Regway, deemed two registered sex offenders inadmissible to Canada and allowed them to return to the United States. Their convictions included sexual assault of a child and rape of a child under 12. On August 12th, officers at North Portal seized a 9 mm handgun from a Texas man. He paid a $1,000 penalty for failing to declare before he was allowed to continue into Canada. On August 22nd, officers at North Portal arrested an Alaska bound traveller for failing to declare a loaded 9 mm pistol and they also seized a prohibited switchblade from this traveller who paid a $1,500 penalty before he was allowed to continue into Canada." 

"In September, at the Oungre border crossing, on September 4th, officers deemed inadmissible, a man convicted of statutory rape and stalking and he was allowed to return to the United States. On September 26th, officers at North Portal found a loaded .40 caliber handgun in a Pennsylvania man's truck. That undeclared firearm was seized and the traveller returned to the US after paying a $1,000 penalty. Most recently, on September 30th officers at North Portal seized a loaded .38 caliber revolver that was found in a pick up truck. In that case, a Pennsylvania man was arrested and allowed to return to the United States after paying a $1,000 penalty."

"There's always something going on and our officers are always on the lookout for dangerous contraband as well as people who are inadmissible to Canada whether that be for criminal offenses or for other reasons."

Prohibited weapons include weapons that are not allowed into Canada butterfly knives, switchblades, stun guns and brass knuckle. They may be legal in other countries, but are not in Canada. 

"The stats were fairly similar over the summer. traffic can fluctuate from year to year based on a number of different factors but our job remains the same to screen travellers coming into Canada, welcome Canadians home and also be on the lookout for things that should not be entering Canada."

From June through September, CBSA officers in southern Saskatchewan:

  • Recorded 74 total seizure actions. Fifty of these took place at North Portal, and three took place at Estevan Highway.
  • Seized eight undeclared firearms. Five were seized at North Portal, and none were seized at Estevan Highway.
  • Seized 26 prohibited weapons. Twenty-four were seized at North Portal, and one was seized at Estevan Highway.
  • Made 19 narcotics/drugs/chemical seizures. Eight of these took place at North Portal, and one took place at Estevan Highway. 

Travellers processed by the CBSA at Estevan and North Portal

 

2016 (June to September)

2017 (June to September)

Estevan Highway

 Travellers

Vehicles

 Travellers

Vehicles

17,601

 9,939

17,427

 10,839

North Portal

Travellers 

Vehicles

Travellers 

Vehicles

107,221

  72,220

113,880

 70,511

Reimer also mentioned that the CBSA is actively recruiting for border officers. For more information on that, go to their website.

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