Just a little heads up to the out of country folks traveling into Canada. I live a short distance from Quebec Canada and know first hand of “many” folks having their cars stolen up in the Montreal, Quebec area. Upwards of 16 a day is not unheard of. The crooks really like the big 4X4 vehicles.
Recently met a group of hunters from the US that were hunting Caribou in northern Quebec and on the way back stopped in Montreal to spend the night. Their 20 foot enclosed trailer with hunting gear and the Chevy 4X4 were all stolen. Spoke to another local who took his family into Quebec, unloaded his enclosed snowmobile trailer (with NY plates) and hit a snowmobile trail with his family on 4 sleds. When they returned about 30 minutes later, the Chevy 4X4 truck and trailer were gone…never to be heard from again!
This could happen in any US city, but what bugs me about Quebec is that if your vehicle is stolen (or get in an accident) and you are not from Quebec ..you are on your own. You may receive a French language police report, but there is no followup. You don't even get an “Au revoir”. The vehicles are stolen and loaded into export containers within minutes and shipped overseas via Port Montreal. Everyone up there knows it…but does nothing about it.
The police spend more time looking for US drivers entering Canada with “radar detectors”, if you get caught with one, it is seized and there is a mandatory fine of about $500. If you are a cop from out of Canada…don’t expect any breaks up there either!
Again, this could happen in any US city, but if it occurred as freely as it does up there, some PD would at least try to work it. You expect it in Mexico…but not Canada. Just park a new Chevy 4X4 with US plates in a Montreal motel or restaurant parking lot and before your shift is over…someone will steal it.
I loved traveling into Quebec and attending handgun competitions throughout the beautiful province…but the Canadian government took care of that…no more permits to attend handgun matches and severely restricted outdoor range requirements prevent me from competing up there.
Still a great place to visit….just be aware of the theft rings operating in the Montreal area. Make sure you have "in hand" documented vehicle insurance that covers you in Canada, if you don't and get in a fender bender, you can expect to have your vehicle seized until you can produce proof of Canadian coverage.
Really surprised that the Quebec hunting outfitters don’t caution their customers about the problem. Burying heads in the “Quebec Sand” is the time-honored response.
BTW: Here the US Dept of Homeland Security link relating to US travel document requirements:
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/land_travel/...
On another note, Labatt Blue has some funny beer commercials that dwell on how Americans sterotype Canadians. Just go “youtube” and search the videos with search words “Labatt Blue Canadian Commercial” etc Here are a couple of links to get you started.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnM4IGqtQP8&feature=PlayList&p=E9CCC3CA7E380453&playnext=1&index=11http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-6tzTUewXM&feature=PlayList&p=E9CCC3CA7E380453&index=12&playnext=2&playnext_from=PLhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=612Hw9OByho&feature=PlayList&p=E9CCC3CA7E380453&index=15
