First armed border officers stand on guard for Canada:

[Praxius]

First armed border officers stand on guard for Canada

When you arrive at a Canadian border point from now on, the person inquiring what you purchased out of the country may — or may not — be toting a 9-mm semiautomatic pistol. As Canada's first few armed border officers went on duty, the government wasn't saying exactly where they would be posted. But Marie-Claire Coupal, a Customs Excise Union national vice-president based in Windsor, confirmed that the Windsor-Sarnia area, where bridges, tunnels and ferries link Ontario and Michigan, would have 11 armed officers. They were among 39 officers who graduated from weapons courses in Ottawa and Chilliwack, B.C., on Friday, and are now authorized to carry handguns. That number is to grow to 4,800 over 10 years under a training and equipment program budgeted at $101 million in its first two years. Mélisa Leclerc, communications director in the office of Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, said the armed presence at the border began quietly on the weekend. Officers issued Berettas Some newly trained officers started carrying their guns on the job on Saturday, while others did so on Monday, depending on the shifts they were assigned to, she told CBC News Online. The 39 have been issued the government's chosen weapon, the Beretta Px4 Storm, a futuristic-looking Italian handgun with a plastic frame and a 17-round magazine. James Bond fans will recall that the fictional spy favoured a Beretta. Until now, all Canadian border officers went unarmed, in contrast to their U.S. counterparts. The change meets a longstanding union demand, resisted by previous governments but embraced by the Conservatives under Stephen Harper. Officials of the Customs Excise Union argued that officers needed guns to protect themselves from armed criminals or terrorists they might face at the border. Officers staged periodic walkouts at crossings south of Vancouver, among other places, when potentially dangerous U.S. fugitives were reported to be headed for Canada. In Ottawa, government officials would not confirm reports that armed officers would be on duty at the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor and Detroit, and the Peace Bridge between Fort Erie and Buffalo. "We don't mention, for security reasons, which border crossings," Leclerc said. "It's based on volumes and risk, but we don't confirm which one, which border crossing." But she noted that the two bridges are among the busiest crossings, making it natural to speculate that they would get armed officers. "I guess people just assumed, because it's based on volumes and risk," she said.

Some food for thought for those who live near the borders of Can/US.

It's a nice pistol I must say, which kinda makes me wonder if the Military is still using the Browning 9mm? (Also a very nice firearm)

But this has been a long time coming, since there is a concern of criminals or firearm smugglers crossing the borders everyday (To and From the US)

[theco805]

Armed border officers in Canada appears to be no threat to the US or anyone for that matter, other than those wishing to cause harm to the Canada's property/violating their statues. American officials are, and have been for a long time, armed at the US/Canada border.

In this day and age, it has become common ground for law enforcement/security personnel to be armed. Canadian border law enforcement unions have demanded being armed and now are.....

[SoylentGreen]

With all that wilderness between the borders why would I smuggle through a porder check?

[Praxius]

You know, I wondered about that too.

[theco805]

Good point.

It just seems like to me that the Candan's border patrol wants to be armed, just as all other law enforcement agencies are.

[Praxius]

Quote by: theco805 Good point. It just seems like to me that the Candan's border patrol wants to be armed, just as all other law enforcement agencies are.

Yeah, from my understanding, they wern't armed for the sheer apperance of a "Friendly Canada" when you enter..... like symbolizing that we don't normally have firearms all over the place.... but they are just the same a police and the military, why not have them armed as well?

[Yarn]

Is Canada mobilizing to invade the United States? :eek:

[Praxius]

Well most of us don't have much else to do.... hence why I brought it up in a thread....

Can't say I didn't warn you all. Now we're gonna invade with our berettas.... LOOK OUT!!

[SoylentGreen]

Until now, all Canadian border officers went unarmed, in contrast to their U.S. counterparts

The canadian guards probably got sick and tired of the american guards calling them a bunch of defenceless pussies.

I wonder, are the canadian guns bigger than the american guards guns and if so will the american guards retaliate by getting bigger guns.

This could easily get out of hand. :)

[Yarn]

Handheld nuclear pistol. Shoots bullets which on impact, explode with the force of an atom bomb.

Quote by: Praxius Well most of us don't have much else to do.... hence why I brought it up in a thread....

Well you could go steal garden gnomes for a fun. Thats what people do in Arizona (which is in the middle of nowhere, and is sparsely populated-both discounting Pheonix).

[Praxius]

Yeah I know of Arizona, lol.... My cousin also lived in Indiana for a year.... he said his grad party there sucked hard..... it was monitored by the teachers, there was no drinking..... hell, it was like a picnic apparently..... Where's the partying, drugs, drinking, sex and fightings down there?

He said it was like Amish Country or something, lol.....

Not that there's anything really wrong with Indiana, just that his experience was very boring he said.

[Yarn]

My sole experience in Arizona, was a two week music summer camp there. It was fun.

Every morning the people who were kind of part counselor part student, put on a amusingly pathetic show on the stage in the auditorium, and announcements were done by a young adult guy named Dan. We were all assigned seats, but in morning we didn't have to practice any good audience etiquette what so ever (lots of hilarious shout outs, and loud booing and cheering). The back row (all boys) would do funny things like going "Dan Dan, your so fine, I really wish you would be mine!" whilst clapping in rythm, everyday when he came on. The last day they all got out of their seats (monitors looked at eachother as they started marching down "should we stop them) and went down and did a mass hug on him. I loved morning announcements (I think thats what it was called anyway).

Musical Arizonians know how to have fun, says I. The classical concerts in the evening, were usually boring, but there was a student concert, in which all people who played one instrument went up at time, so you would hear like 13 clarinets, or 7 violas (11 basses anyone?), or whatever, playing without accompaniement by any other instrument, which was kind of cool.

The food was tasty, but extremely cheap and unhealthy...

Whats not fun about stealing Garden gnomes I ask?

I just remember one girl telling me all about how the weirdest things got stolen all the time in Arizona. Someone put American flags on their car's hood, and they got stolen for example. The supposed reason for all this is, is that there really isn't much to do in Arizona.

God Pheonix was evil. I couldn't stand being outside in it for very long...so dang hot. Camp was in the mountains though. Moderate temperature pervaded up there, but humidity therein was very low...and in Pheonix as well-dry dry heat.

Found the Grand Canyon boring, but I never get anything out of landscape bueaty, so that isn't really saying anything.

[Praxius]

Whats not fun about stealing Garden gnomes I ask?

Well what do you do when you finally have an army of them? Set them all over the highway around 4:20am before everybody gets up and ready for rush hour? .... he he.... that'd be fun to see....

[SoylentGreen]

Quote by: Praxius Well what do you do when you finally have an army of them? Set them all over the highway around 4:20am before everybody gets up and ready for rush hour? .... he he.... that'd be fun to see....

heres one idea

Travelling gnome prank - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Netopalis]

Armed borders against the Canadians...

What are they going to do, spill maple syrup on us?

[Praxius]

Quote by: Netopalis Armed borders against the Canadians... What are they going to do, spill maple syrup on us?

Yeah, let's see those Glocks fire now!