Posted on 02/11/2006 3:25:46 AM PST by Marius3188
Canadian border guards abandoned the Peace Arch crossing in British Columbia after hearing an armed and dangerous American was trying to enter Canada.
The unarmed guards have a clause in their contract that allows them to leave their job if they think they're in danger.
They invoked the clause Friday night for the second time in a month.
The report of a fugitive turned out to be false.
The managers of Canada Border Services Agency say they will man the booths and reopen the border.
Friday evening, just one line of cars was slowly being allowed to enter Canada, said CTV's David Kincaid. A supervisor was believed to be staffing that line.
Border guards also walked off the job earlier this month in Roosville, B.C at the crossing between the province and Montana. They were concerned about their safety after being warned that an armed man was possibly heading to the border.
In January, customs officers left the border crossing between Surrey, B.C. and Blaine, Washington after two murder suspects from California tried to outrun American police officers at the border.
The fugitives got into a shootout with police before they could enter Canada.
After this incident, Conservative MP Vic Toews, now the Justice Minister, said border guards would be armed as soon as possible.
There have been a dozen work refusals by guards across the country in the past year.
As it stands, border guards are supposed to allow anyone suspected of being armed and dangerous into Canada and then call police.
With files from CTV's David Kincaid
They invoked the clause Friday night for the second time in a month.
HAAAA! Then what are you paying them for?
I'm sorry but these guys are pussies! What a disgrace!
Whatever has happened to Canada?
OK, OK, I know ~ damned liberals.
They must have lost their cojones somewhere along the way.
Perhaps we can send them a Troop of our Boy Scouts to protect them until this dire emergency lapses.
Maybe a troop of Camp Fire Girls if the Boy Scouts are busy....
This muddleheaded pacifism of the Canucks may well turn out 2 be a security threat for the US. We oughtta take this seriously. Can't Harper do something sane to at least startreversing the madness? Any Canada observers who can point out to any good the man's done since being sworn in?
Isn't it obvious. It's part of Canaduhs French heritage.
And how are "UNARMED" guards supposed to apprehend somebody?
Give them guns and I bet they'll be a little more courageous!
Calling them "Guards" is an insult to anyone who has served in such a capacity. "Border Attendants" would be more appropriate.
Could well be. On the other hand, that's a rather odd contract clause for a guard.
Do they hand out paper towels to dry your hands as you cross the border? Do you tip them a buck?
Well I'm not a Canuck, (but I've been there once or twice), but I imagine the poor PM is just now seeing the depths of the problems he's in inherited, and has discovered that he's gonna need hip waders.
What would Chuck Norris do?
The guys aren't pussies. They've been agitating to be allowed to carry firearms.
This is an effective way of making their point.
Under the Liberal government they were ignored.
It's the Liberals who were disgraceful pussies.
The article points out that the new Conservative gov't will arm them ASAP.
Really? I'd like to see you stand there with a uniform that looks like a cop, with no gun, and try to stop some meth hopped thug or gang banger who's armend to the teeth.
I don't blame these guys. Suicide shouldn't be part of the job description. They need to be armed.
Then who are the police supposed to call?
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