Whenever I go to Ontario which is at least once a year, the Canadians are nice and helpdful and speak fondly of the US...
Of course I do hang around other descendants of Loyalists so since their ancestors were born here maybe that makes a difference...
I will say that the Canadian border guards are becoming increasingly nasty...
Whats that about ???
The main complaint Ive heard over the years is that they can no longer go across the bridge to eat lunch in Buffalo from their work for someones birthday etc since 9/11...
Having to stop and and wait in lines to show ID and now passports takes time away from their 1 hour to get there and eat and come back...
...have been for years. For years, I made two or more border crossings a week at 5 or 6 different locations. I usually hauled softwood lumber south, and then "whatever" back into Canada. During that time, I never, ever had a problem at U.S. Customs. Even if there was a mistake on my paperwork, I was politely told about it and helpfully directed to where I could get it fixed. But I just dreaded heading back into Canada. I don't know what it is, but Canada Customs people are the snarliest, surliest, most inconsiderate bunch I've ever had to deal with. Don't get me wrong, I was always happy to be heading home, but first I had to go through that ordeal.
I had a similar experience during my first (and so far, only) trip to Vancouver.
The US company I work for bought a Canadian company, and being one of the "network guys," I was sent up there to get their network integrated with ours. At the airport in Vancouver, the Canadian border agent asked why I was in Canada, and I said for business. So he started asking a bunch of questions about the company I worked for (happy to answer them) and the Canadian company we just bought (not a damned clue). Then he started getting pissy and asked why they sent me if I didn't know anything about the company we bought. My answer was that I didn't need to know anything about it, just to get their network integrated into ours. So next he asked me why my company sent me? Doesn't Canada have anyone that could do what needed to be done? I just looked him in the eye and said, "I guess not!" Finally he asked me if I was going to have to come back again, and I answered, "I hope not!"
Mark