North to Alaska, OUTSIDE Vancouver Island?

[TrentePieds]

4009 said: "My nephew tried to make that trip last year. He returned to port without completing it. Not because of weather but because he took the inside passage and made the mistake of dropping anchor. He had a marijuana conviction long before it was legalized. When stopped by Canadian Coast Guard he was sent packing and lucky to not have been in jail. They would not let him continue on as Seattle was closer than Alaska. Canada is not our friend."

Really?? Had your nephew cleared inward as required by Canadian Law before he set his hook?

If he hadn't, I for one would put two and two together: Contravention of US law regarding prohibited substances, Contravention of Canadian Law regarding Customs and Immigration. Hm... Perhaps Canada does not need friends like that, perhaps that particular American is not Canada's friend?

Good on our Coasties and on the Canada Border Services Agency (who probably made the "go git 'im!" phone call to the Coasties) doing what we pay them for :-)!

Americans are always welcome here. We DO expect that when in Canada they do as Canadians do. The more persnickety among us might even hope that Americans do a quick introductory course on why and how Canada is a sovereign nation :-)!

À la prochaine!

TrentePieds

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Sailorman4009

My nephew tried to make that trip last year. He returned to port without completing it. Not because of weather but because he took the inside passage and made the mistake of dropping anchor. He had a marijuana conviction long before it was legalized. When stopped by Canadian Coast Guard he was sent packing and lucky to not have been in jail. They would not let him continue on as Seattle was closer than Alaska. Canada is not our friend.

Did your nephew say he was sorry, Eh?

[TrentePieds]

"Oh, Sorry!" is what we Canadians say when someone steps on our foot :-0)!

TP

[CarinaPDX]

Good grief. Canada does not let in American felons. IIRC there is a 10 year sunset on that but a waiver must be requested. Yanks with pot convictions from years ago will not have a problem, as long as a waiver is applied for in advance of arrival. Obviously the nephew didn't do that.

The nephew would have been unwise to try to bypass Canadian waters for several reasons. But he didn't do that. Going up the inside passage meant that he was travelling in Canadian waters and as such required him to legally enter Canada. So either he was a fool for not checking in, or he knew that his status was a problem and was a fool for thinking he wouldn't get caught. But a fool nonetheless.

Our Pacific border is very closely watched and every boat and radar blip is tracked. No one is sneaking across the border, as many would-be drug runners have discovered. They were almost certainly tracking him the entire time he was in Canada. He was never likely to get away with it. And he deserves no sympathy whatsoever.

Greg

[TrentePieds]

Yep - there is very considerable talk in sundry watering holes in the Gulf Islands that Canada needs a wall on her southern border :-)

TP

[CarinaPDX]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Yep - there is very considerable talk in sundry watering holes in the Gulf Islands that Canada needs a wall on her southern border :-)

TP

And prior to legalization in Washington there was talk of a need to keep out all of that weed that the (ex)American draft dodgers were growing up there. Now we can all get happy together - just don't carry anything over the border or have it on your boat.

Greg

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Sailorman4009

My nephew tried to make that trip last year. He returned to port without completing it. Not because of weather but because he took the inside passage and made the mistake of dropping anchor. He had a marijuana conviction long before it was legalized. When stopped by Canadian Coast Guard he was sent packing and lucky to not have been in jail. They would not let him continue on as Seattle was closer than Alaska. Canada is not our friend.

Had it been the other way around, a Canadian anchoring in US waters without having first checked in, and with a marijuana possession record - which would probably bar him from entering the US anyhow. I suspect he WOULD have been jailed! Actually, I doubt that the marijuana possession record had any influence on the Canadian authorities actions. It was all about the failure to check in.

And I suspect that it was the Horsemen (RCMP), although perhaps on a Coast Guard vessel, that did the deed. Our Coast Guard DOES NOT have law enforcement powers. They are only there to help. It makes them much more aproachable

During Covid there were just too many Americans who came in saying they were going directly to Alaska (although they were graciously permitted to stop enroute for fuel and supplies,) who dawdled along the way, fishing, exploring, gunkholing - causing Canadian authorities to become more vigilant and clamping down.

Although it would be nice if this story got wide circulation thus causing fewer Yanks to come north and leaving more room fot us locals in our own country.