Crossing into Canada (travel, job, house)

[Rance]

My last trip down it was a 2 minute deal at the Candain borders. On the way back I wanted my passport stamped coming into Canada from ND. They did a complete background check (I had to pull over, park, and go inside) which took around 30 minutes.
Last summer CD member Sweden and I drove into Canada from AK, so she could get her passport stamped for Canada (ok we were planning on lunch in Beaver Creek too). A total miserable you know what was working the gaurd shack and refused us entry thinking Sweden was just trying to lengthen her stay in the US! We were turned around on the spot. As we stopped at the AK shack and I explained why we had just driven by and now were returning 5 minutes later...the gaurd stamped her passport without batting an eye.

[Nephler]

All this hassle crossing the border into Canada is the main reason we're taking the Alaska Marine Highway up from Bellingham.

[SarahB82]

Originally Posted by ASpilot2be

We have had plants taken from us at the border

Yeah I'm making this near 4000 mile trek and my biggest worry is losing my plants. :/ I have a pothos, spider plant, ivy, umbrella tree, and my number one favorite - a peace lily.

Has anyone had any trouble with these in particular?

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by SarahB82

Yeah I'm making this near 4000 mile trek and my biggest worry is losing my plants. :/ I have a pothos, spider plant, ivy, umbrella tree, and my number one favorite - a peace lily.

Has anyone had any trouble with these in particular?

Why not ship them to yourself?

[SarahB82]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

Why not ship them to yourself?

Besides the fact that I'm paranoid lol I don't yet have an address up in Alaska that I can use.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by SarahB82

Besides the fact that I'm paranoid lol I don't yet have an address up in Alaska that I can use.

You can send things general delivery to the post office closest to where you'll be, and then pick them up there. I'll be doing that with some of my stuff when I move up, because it's not even possible to get anything delivered to my property. I'm not entirely certain of all the regulations on plants but I doubt you'd actually run into any trouble, just package them very well...

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by Rance

... I wanted my passport stamped coming into Canada from ND...

You can get your passport stamped going into Canada?? I never knew! They've never done that for me. Or do you have to specifically request it?

[Rance]

Not sure about now with the mandatory passport thing. But yes it used to be a request thing. The stamp coming into Alaska is (was) cool. A large brown bear standing on hind legs over the words ALCAN if I remember right. It actually made Sweden's day after being totally embarrassed 5 minutes earlier by this frigid and PMS 24/7 lady they had working the gaurd shack. I'd make a comment here about what I told her as we left...but this is a PG13 site. It was something along the lines of...ok we'll turn around here and %&*@!&?# leave...but tomorrow her %&*@!&?# sorry %&*@!&?# arse was still gonna be stuck out there in the middle of %&*@!&?# nowhere. %&*@!&?#!
Coming into Canada from ND was just a drab typical stamp.

To the OP. Those are dime a dozen house plants. Now don't get me wrong, I love house plants and would die before giving up mine. So have someone send them to you once you get here. Because I'm pretty sure they'll probably take them. If you can't find any definate info on the website...have someone mail them. If there is definate info on breeds etc...print that info and take with you to show the gaurds. Because trust me...some of those places have the most miserable SOB's working the border crossings and they try very hard to bring you down to their level of hate and discontent.

[allforcats]

Yes - excellent advice to print the web pages from the Canadian import info. I found it, drilling down on the site I cited. (Doncha love intellectual jokes?:-)

Rance, thanks for telling me about the brown bear stamp! That's a hoot! No wonder Sweden loved it. When is she coming back, by the way? Or are you going there next?

[Rance]

I'm hoping she is stepping off a jet in Anch before August. She might be doing a europass trip with some girlfriends in July...as her and her friends are basically going seperate ways this summer. I told her to take all the time she needs. It's going to be a big step for her coming here and leaving family and friends behind.
I really want to go back over there this spring...and who knows...maybe I can fly over and come home with her. We are both so darn busy right now we are not even worrying about any of that at this time. Hoping to get some plans made by the end of June.