Most guns seized by Border Services are legitimate personal firearms

The Globe and Mail ^ | 7 July, 2008 | STEVE MERTL

[marktwain]

VANCOUVER -- Americans cherish their constitutional right to keep and bear arms, even when they come to Canada. Canada Border Services Agency officers regularly discover smuggled guns destined for the Canadian criminal underworld, but most firearms they turn up belong to otherwise law-abiding Americans, according to agency intelligence summaries. "Most of the firearms seized by CBSA at the land ports of entry are the personal firearms of legitimate U.S. travellers who neglected - intentionally or not - to declare their personal firearms," says the agency's strategic intelligence analysis division in an undated report covering the period from 2004 to 2006. The report, along with other previously classified monthly intelligence summaries dating back to January of 2007, were obtained by The Canadian Press under federal access to information legislation. Crossings into British Columbia account for the largest percentage of all gun seizures, and about a third of all handguns, the agency says. A high percentage are in transit to Alaska and not intended for the illicit firearms market, the report says. Americans travelling through Canada between Alaska and the lower 48 states, often doing seasonal work, can take their guns if they declare them. "I can tell you right now that many people that go to Alaska and legally declare their guns declare as many as 10 or more guns," says Dan Liebel, who speaks for the Customs and Excise Union. "Now, how many don't declare them?"

The agency's August, 2007, intelligence summary highlights an incident where officers at the Coutts, Alta., crossing stopped a U.S. military officer transferring to Alaska. He had declared seven long guns (shotguns or rifles) but a search turned up seven restricted handguns.

[marktwain]

Our government should be working hard to find a diplomatic solution to this problem, such as an easy way for Americans to "seal" personal handguns on the way to Alaska, as used to be the case. Instead, they have agravated the problem.

[stuartcr]

The way it sounded to me, was that all firearms for travelers are allowed if declared. Is this true?

[bcsco]

This is a ping list promoting Immigration Enforcement and Congressional Reform.
If you wish to be added or removed from this ping list, please contact me.

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[1rudeboy]

Ontario does not allow handguns under any circumstances, if I recall.

[stuartcr]

OK, thanks

[Guenevere]

Thanks for keeping us updated!!!!

Strange...I changed my tagline but it wouldn't encompass the whole quote from de Tocqueville...

..however, it seems fitting & more apt, IMO.

[bcsco]

it seems fitting & more apt, IMO

It hits the nail on the head.

Late on the update this a.m. Couldn't access the Internet. Went through all the rigmarole of shutting down & restarting the modem & router. Came to find out it was my Zone Alarm update that set the Internet security to high. sheesh!

[Guenevere]

Don’t you hate when that happens :^)

[angkor]

they may have changed the laws since i drove from Montana to Alaska, but back then (1) handguns were absolutely verboten no matter what, and (2) declarations of long guns could be verbally made without much hassle. My declaration was “I have an unloaded lever action rifle in the rooftop carrier, and as you can see that carrier is locked.”

that was pretty much it, although they did seize my large can of PEPPER SPRAY because nothing on the can indicated that it was for bear protection. i replaced it with a can of Canadian bear spray at the first sporting goods store on my route, about 100 miles up the road. it had a picture of a snarling grizzly, hence it was legal. otherwise identical to what Canadian Customs had taken from me a couple hours earlier.

I should note my “sense” that both Canadian and US customs had some sort of obsession with handguns, long guns, and pepper spray. not booze or drugs or smuggled cigs. and no doubt a lot of those RVs and other Alcan drivers do indeed have a firearm or two, after all they're transiting to Alaska.

If I do that drive again I'll try to find a gun dealer in Alaska and have my own local dealer ship any handguns or whatever via Fedex, for pickup in Alaska. Shouldn't cost too much and presumably it's the legal method.

[stuartcr]

I got a very good link from WLR, that shows that handguns for Americans are not illegal in Canada.

http://www.panda.com/canadaguns/#overview

[BooksForTheRight.com]

That’s what it’s about - seizing guns from honest, law-abiding citizens while deliberately leaving them in the hands of criminals.

[Rick.Donaldson]

Another reason NOT to go to Canada.