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Bowhunting.net Banned From Ontario, Canada

August 7 - We arrived at the Canadian Customs today a few minutes before 5:00pm and handed the custom's lady our passports and driver's licenses. She asked the standard questions (Are you a US citizen? etc.) and asked us to park. Two customs gentlemen came out and looked through all our stuff and asked us to go inside.

After a short wait a lady from Immigrations asked for Fred Lutger and he went over to her cubicle.

All this is pretty much standard fare at the Ontario border and it was expected. It's their job.

But we didn't expect what happened next.

The Immigrations lady and Fred had a lengthy discussion. Then she instructed Fred to make a list of all the food we had with us. We did, right down to the last can of Bush's baked beans and 6 bananas. Fred took her the list and she went over it carefully. She then said it was not a problem.

Next. the Immigrations lady told Fred that he could not bring his video camera nor any video equipment in the country. She instructed him to leave it all on the American side.

Then she asked for me.

She asked me questions about Bowhunting.net and my part in it. There was a computer monitor on her desk and she said she was looking at the web site. I could not see the monitor's screen myself but I assume she was. Although some of the questions she asked me about the site seemed self explanatory if she was looking at the right site. But I guess that was some sort of interrogation technique.

I want you to know that answered all of her questions accurately and in a polite and respectful manner. Her manner with me was calloused, suspicious and condescending. She told me she did not see how bowhunting.net was promoting or helping "Canada."

She told me to sit down. When she talked to me again she said I could not hunt bear if I brought my laptop computer into the country. If I had my computer I would be working and I could not work in Ontario unless I had a work visa. Fred asked her if I brought my computer in and did not hunt, would she issue me a work visa. She said no. She was not going to let me into the country with my computer.

Our ordeal took nearly 3 hours at the Ontario border. When we were dismissed we drove back to International Falls and went to the Chocolate Moose restaurant to eat and think things out.

We ate our dinner in silence and then I told Fred that if I couldn't bring my computer I was going to fly back home. Fred said, "No you're not. We're all driving back to Chicago."

And that's what we are doing now.