Border officials blasted at KDCA fall meeting

News — 20 October 2010

In what’s becoming a bit of an annual tradition, Canada Border Service Agency representatives got an earful from Kenora District Campowners Association (KDCA) members at their fall meeting, Oct. 6 at Eagle Lake’s Evergreen Lodge.

CBSA Fort Frances Division Superintendent Kevin Begin listened as the KDCA membership aired their long-standing grievance — that Canada Border Service agents at the Fort Frances port of entry are refusing admission to Canada to an inordinate number of U.S. tourists on the basis of minor criminal offences that occurred 20 to 30 years in the past. Moreover, they claim that the problem is confined to specifically to the Fort Frances port of entry.

Eric Brown is the proprietor of Totem Resorts, operators of three high-end resorts on Lake of the Woods. Brown says problems at the border and the reputation of the Fort Frances port of entry is a poisonous element in an already difficult economic climate.

“We’ve lost over 1,500 guests over the last five years,” said Brown. “At $2,000 a piece that’s $3 million. We’ve cut our staff from 225 to 65. We buy a lot less gas. We used to buy a million dollars a year in groceries from Sysco, now it’s under $300,000. It’s killing our business.”

KDCA members remarked that some stateside fishing lodges have posted billboard signs on the highway that capitalize on the Fort Frances port of entry’s perceived ‘reputation’ of denying U.S. citizens, admission to Canada on the grounds of minor criminalities in the past.

While the CBSA’s Kevin Begin maintained a conciliatory tone throughout his meeting with camp owners, his agency’s official stance on the matter yields little ground to the KDCA’s accusations.

Chris Kealey of the CBSA says that Northwestern Ontario’s tourism industry faces much larger problems than can be accounted for by a small number of guests being turned back at the border.

“We understand that the region’s campowners say they are frustrated that U.S. passport requirements, security issues since 9/11, the global recession, higher gasoline prices, the HST and other issues that may have had an economic impact on their business over the last 10 years,” said Kealey. “During this time, the legislation that governs admissibility to Canada, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA),

has not changed. Furthermore, the way the CBSA applies the Act has been consistent at the Fort Frances Port of Entry and other locations.”

Kealey adds that any assertion that the Fort Frances border crossing is tougher than any other Canadian port of entry is without merit. Kealey does say that sometimes the nature of what an individual chooses to bring across the border requires a closer look at their background.

“Fort Frances is the second busiest port in the country for the registration of long guns for non-residents and this process may require a criminal background check, which may uncover previous criminality.”

As for the question of denying admission on the basis of minor charges that are many decades old, Kealey says those with a single drunk driving or other ‘minor’ charge are generally admissable to Canada after 10 years from the end of their sentence or probation. While some inadmissable persons may qualify for a Temporary Residents Permit (TRP) some elect not to pay for the $200 fee.

Kealey adds most instances whereby individuals have been denied entry are the result of either serious or multiple past criminal convictions.

“When assessing an individual’s admissibility, we consider and explore all options allowed under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). In our commitment to work more cooperatively with our stakeholders, the Chief of Operations of the Fort Frances port of entry reviews all decisions made by front line officers about inadmissible visitors travelling to camps to hunt or fish.”

Sunset Country Travel Association’s Gerry Cariou says that after 10 years of fighting against the issue, he wishes more progress could be made.

“I give these guys credit because it’s like a shooting gallery for them,” said Cariou. “It wouldn’t be if there were actually some progress on issues. We have moved forward in terms of them acknowledging some of the concerns — 10 years ago, they didn’t acknowledge them. In the end the guests are still being turned back, there are still bad feelings and there are still lodges that will potentially lose their businesses as a result of the problems at the border. It is the number one issue affecting tourist operators in Northwest Ontario.”

By Chris Marchand