Press Release
In March, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers at the Fort Frances port of entry processed 53,703 travellers in 29,478 vehicles, which represent a 7.5 percent increase in travellers and a 1.03 percent decrease in vehicles compared to March, 2011.
Twenty-six charter buses carrying 557 passengers, 650 commercial trucks, and 910 pedestrians also were processed during the month.
Immigration
Officers at the Fort Frances POE conducted more than 730 immigration interviews, resulting in the issuance of 15 work permits, five visitor records, and 64 Remote Area Border Crossing permits.
Twenty people were found to have various admissibility issues, 11 of which were given the option of voluntarily withdrawing their application to enter Canada and were allowed to leave.
The other nine were allowed entry on temporary visitor permits.
On March 22, a U.S. resident arrived at the port of Fort Frances and stated his intention to reside in Canada.
During the subsequent examination, the individual exhibited signs of aggression, did not demonstrate the financial means to support himself, and did not have the required residency documentation.
He was given the option of voluntarily withdrawing his application to enter Canada and was allowed to leave.
He was escorted back to the United States.
Customs
During the month of March, CBSA officers at the Fort Frances POE conducted more than 1,100 secondary examinations for Customs purposes, initiated three seizure actions, and issued an additional 10 written warnings for non-declared or under-valued goods.
On March 3, five U.S. residents inadvertently arrived at the Fort Frances POE after following incorrect Global Positioning System directions to their destination in Minnesota.
An examination of their vehicle resulted in the seizure of 1.3 g of marijuana, seven cases of beer, and a 1.75L bottle of rum.
The individuals were arrested for smuggling, but were released upon completion of the seizure action and returned to the U.S.
On March 15, a Canadian resident arrived at the Fort Frances POE driving a U.S.-plated rental vehicle.
This individual was planning on driving to Thunder Bay and dropping the car off at the airport.
As he was a resident of Canada, he was advised he was not allowed to drive a non-duty paid vehicle and leave it in Canada, and was instructed to return the vehicle to the U.S.
The individual started driving back towards the U.S., but instead of continuing onto the international bridge, he turned off the road and proceeded into Canada.
The OPP was able to locate the individual and return him to the POE, where he was arrested for running the port.
After processing, the individual was released and the case was referred to CBSA for further investigation.
