The Statute of Westminster 1931 did get things started. In away the United States started the debates that led to 1931! America is also to blame for Canada. :lurk5:
Border patrol around here takes the US/Canada border very seriously. We make Canadian jokes, and they may US jokes, because we share a lot of border up here, and plenty of it is water. I almost always see the Border Patrol at my local ramp.
This has been a big issue since prohibition. A lot of the multi-generation boating families on western Lake Erie, St. Clair and the Detroit River participated in the liberation of cases and cases of Canadian Club.
Border patrol around here takes the US/Canada border very seriously. We make Canadian jokes, and they may US jokes, because we share a lot of border up here, and plenty of it is water. I almost always see the Border Patrol at my local ramp.
This has been a big issue since prohibition. A lot of the multi-generation boating families on western Lake Erie, St. Clair and the Detroit River participated in the liberation of cases and cases of Canadian Club.
When I was 17, some friends and I went across the border in my 1975 buick. We were stopped and searched. They found a small baseball bat in my trunk. Well... ok.... two.
I told them that they were "tire knockers," used to check tire pressure.
That didn't work. I had to "surrender" them to the "crown." I guess that was when Canada was still constitutionally the puppy of the Parliament. I don't think that I pleased them when I looked around at the other Dudleys while one Dudley pretended to call the US to see if they wanted me back. I said "want me back???"
"I am an American citizen. That makes me the only free man in the room."
Three minutes later they were moving a barricade so that I could go back across the bridge. Never made it past customs. No Canadian MacDonalds or Point Pelee for me that day.
I won't tell you what was in my trunk when me and my friend headed to Windsor for the weeknd...did not stick around for the search. Just followed a family truckster out of the parking lot when they were done putting their luggage and door panels back in the wagon...
Before passports required I was flying back to Canada from Florida. The CDN customs agent accused me of being an American trying to sneak into Canada. He thought I was trying to get health care!!!!!!!
Before passports required I was flying back to Canada from Florida. The CDN customs agent accused me of being an American trying to sneak into Canada. He thought I was trying to health care!!!!!!!
I won't tell you what was in my trunk when me and my friend headed to Windsor for the weeknd...did not stick around for the search. Just followed a family truckster out of the parking lot when they were done putting their luggage and door panels back in the wagon...
When I was quite a bit younger (mid/late 20's) I had just collected a good size check from a completed job and decided to go to Windsor and gamble a portion. Had an open 12-pack in the backseat of the Dually (and probably some dead soldiers under the seat), and didn't think anything of it. Got pulled into customs and got a big "oh chit!!!!" moment. They looked over the entire truck (work truck: i.e. Ladder rack, ladders, brake, tools in back...), mirrors under the body... They were cool with everything. I offered to open the cross-box, and they said not necessary, and let me go to the casino.
I went to the casino and had a blast turning $300 into $3800 at BlackJack.
Hars to believe today that this didn't turn into a MAJOR scenario...
Thank God I've gotten a bit smarter since then...
I guess we ran out of Canada jokes so we moved on to Canadian history.
Here is something Canadian. It is a pic from my friend Tom in Canada who took this pic of my old Nova that I sold him. It is at the haystacks. Great guy, that Tom. Picky buyer.