I've not had problems at any immigration point in years and years and years, and I'm not particularly well-dressed (usually barely neat enough) or particularly well-connected.

Here's the most recent three trips to Canada.

1. Flying in to Montreal. Passport gets inspected. Envious sigh. Waved through.

2. Auto with friend on 87 through Mooers.
"Do you have any drugs or nuclear weapons?" "No." "OK."

3. Flying in to Vancouver. I let my (black) friend go before me. There's a ruckus. She doesn't have a passport. I come up. Guy looks at my passport. Says, "how long have you known each other?" "Uh, 28, no, 29 years." "Will you vouch for her?" "Yes." "OK."