Originally Posted by
TonyBurr
Of all the immigration/customs I travel to in the world, I find the Canadian's the most difficult. I have stopped doing business, and transiting through Canada due to the "grilling" I seem to get at Toronto. We have dropped any business with Canada since we will not subject ourselves to their immigration agents.
We have done the same, costing the Canadian economy quite a bit of money!
Due to legal issues in the US, we need to hold meetings with a select client outside of the US, so Toronto/Montreal has been quite convenient in the past. But in the past five or six years, the list of horror stories grows of how rude and unwelcoming the immigration and customs officials have been.
One Asian member of staff was grilled for a few hours, searched and finally let in. He was in such a state when he arrived at the Four Seasons in Toronto, he couldn't take part in the meeting but had to see a doctor to get him calmed down.
So, we've moved our business to Bermuda, the Bahamas or Mexico...so that is -six to eight meetings per year,
-return business class air tickets (which have often been on Air Canada),
-meeting rooms,
-accommodation and meals (often at the Four Seasons in Toronto),
-plus any addition purchases on shopping expeditions, theatre, etc.
All that LOST because a few border control agents haven't been put through a "Welcome to Canada" course... they sure could use it!