I was wondering how many border crossings there are between Canada and the United States. Altogether there are 109 crossing areas. My question is, since Canada is so large of a country and the border crossings are located along the Canada-U.S. area, then how is the northern area of Canada being kept secure?
Canada's Answer to Security in Northern Canada:
source: Google News
(AFP) — The Canadian government on Friday reaffirmed its Arctic claims, saying it will defend its northern territories and waters after Russia earlier announced plans to militarize the North.
"Canada is an Arctic power," Catherine Loubier, a spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, said in an email to AFP.
"The government is engaged in protecting the security of Canada and in exercising its sovereignty in the North, including Canadian waters," she said.
Loubier pointed to the planned acquisition of Arctic patrol vessels, construction of a deep water port and eavesdropping network in the region, annual military exercises and boosting the number Inuit Arctic rangers keeping on eye on goings-on along its northern frontier.
Earlier, Russia announced plans to turn the Arctic into its "leading strategic resource base" by 2020 and station troops there, documents showed, as nations race to stake a claim to the oil-rich region.
The country's strategy for the Arctic through 2020 -- adopted last year and now published on the national security council website -- says one of Russia's main goals for the region is to put troops in its Arctic zone "capable of ensuring military security."
Do you think Canada's Arctic is secure enough against other countries?
I came across this photo the other day when doing some image research on the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, a vigilante group that began in Arizona, California and Texas. However, this burly fellow was apparently monitoring the Canadian border from Washington State in 2006. Since 2005, the Minutemen have established chapters in Maine, Vermont, Michigan and Washington state, along with their usual holdouts on the southern border. They must be really bored. I think it would be interesting to begin a counter movement to monitor the minutemen.
the image at: www.fixcas.com/news/2008/b2008b.htm
I know this picture is old, but I have a serious problem with it. My problem is that the Casino is the largest visible property in ALL of Windsor. I know it's meant to draw Americans to our side of the river, but it just makes our city look bad because the casino is just so prominent. It makes it seem as if there is nothing is worthwhile here, while in fact that it over shadows various other wonderful buildings and monuments in Windsor.
Although it brings in a lot of revenue for the city, the casino's infrastructure does not do the city aesthetic justice.
That's just how I feel.
“Since May, about 12 people have been arrested at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, above, or Ambassador Bridge on immigrant-smuggling charges. Robert Johnson was down on his luck and short on cash last month when a man named Hunt offered him $800 to smuggle two Chinese immigrants in the trunk of his car into the United States through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel” (DAVID ASHENFELTER, 2006).
Ashenfelter, D. (2006). Free Press. Asked to smuggle? Beware Border police on alert for illegal immigrants.Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.freep.com
February 15th, 2006
“WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) - A human smuggling ring that charged Asian and Eastern European migrants thousands of dollars to send them across the Canadian-U.S. border - sometimes hanging on the sides of freight trains or stuffed in car trunks - was brought down yesterday with the arrests of 17 people, U.S. and Canadian authorities said. U.S. authorities said they intercepted 74 illegal aliens being smuggled from Canada into the United States. Canadian officials said 24 migrants were stopped going into Canada” (Michigan Daily, 2006).
Michigan Daily. (2006). Authorities topple human smuggling ring. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http:// www.michigandaily.com
May 31, 2007
“A couple from Cameroon was sentenced for involuntary servitude and related charges. Joseph Djoumessi, 49, was found guilty of conspiracy, involuntary servitude and harboring for financial gain. ICE agents in Detroit began an investigation in 2000 after receiving information regarding a young girl who was possibly being held against her will. A 17-year-old girl from Cameroon was discovered in the Djoumessi home, living under a false identity and in questionable circumstances. The girl had been brought into the United States illegally when she was 14 years old” (ICE, 2009).
ICE. (2009). Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.ice.gov
Why illegally immigrate to Windsor?
If slaves from the Underground Railroad could live freely in Canada, then what about an immigrant seeking the same freedom by crossing the boarder by “illegal standards”? Would the negative opinions surrounding illegal immigration change, if people could hear the personal stories of the ‘illegal’ immigrants?
“I don’t know if what I was told about coming here was correct or not, but what am I going to do about it now?” said Pedro Palafox Marin, who said he paid $800 to the organization before driving through the night to Windsor with his wife and children.
“I could smell the freedom when I crossed over,” said Ms. Gonzalez, 25. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but the pressure of worrying about getting caught never let you sleep well.”
MONICA DAVEY and ABBY GOODNOUGH. (2007). Windsor Star. Illegal Immigrants Chase False Hope to Canada. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.windsorstar.com
Both of these statements were made by illegal immigrants, who came to Windsor, Canada seeking freedom.
Over time, the Detroit-Windsor boarder has functioned as the route for the freedom of immigrants, whether through the Underground Railroad or contemporary illegal immigration. Boarders shape lives not only locally,
nationally, but on a global scale. The past is found in the present and the present is found in the past.
“A modern democracy is a tyranny whose borders are undefined; one discovers how far one can go only by traveling in a straight line until one is stopped.”
Norman Mailer
The history of the dispute is little more than several flag mounting efforts by both Canadian and Danish authorities, beginning in 1988 and continuing to the present day. Dome Petroleum (Calgary based) preformed research on the island in the early 1980's. In 2005 the Canadian Defense Minister made a symbolic visit to the island and there have now been mutual efforts between Denmark and Canada to build a mutual weather station on the island. Satellite photos from July 2007 now show the border to be going directly though Hans Island, though dispute over its sovereignty remains.
The situation here is not unique to Canada and Denmark as there are several islands around the world which give rise to heated debates in respect to their sovereignty. Dokdo Island in the sea of Japan is an example of this where South Korea and Japan both claim control over what is little more than a group of rocks with the size of 0.18km2. Dokdo has officially remained in South Korean possession since 1954, though the Japaneese have continued to claim it as theirs. Check out this blog which proclaims 'Korea's ancient title to the Dokdo region': Dokdo in Korea!
Pictured is a civilian road blockade to stop people from Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua from entering the country to vote illegally - with fake voter identification provided by the ARENA government.
Having traveled here as a child, I was told the story that this was the smallest international bridge, though Wikipedia seems to suggest that this is just folklore and that both islands are part of the county of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario, Canada. Internet based sources seem to be divided some suggesting that this is the smallest international bridge, and other that is acts merly as a symbolic representaion of the friendly Canadian - American relationship.
Google Earth, which acts as evidence for those who shout that this is inaccurate, shows the Canadain - American border to not be passing inbetween these islands, though has Zavikon placed completely in American waters. This renders the argument to be very confusing with people advocating every position possible. Could Google Earth be inacurate? It is known that in the division of the 1000 Islands, no island was to be cut in two though it seems odd that people would write that both are Canadian if they are sitting in American waters. Why would people have been under these false pretenses?
Nevertheless, whether entirely Canadian, American, or split down the middle it provides a fun perspective on international border crossings. I’m sure it is one which will not be causing any political strife! 
This community has a rich history of France – Canada and France – U.S. relations which stems back to the age of exploration with the European colonial expansion into the Americas. Prior to European contacts, the islands were inhabited by the native Indians known as the Beothuk which became extinct in 1829. Initially the area was coveted for its prime fishing, which led to disputes between English and French settlers. Though the islands were frequently visited it was not until the 17th century that the islands came to have permanent French residents. The 17th century saw British attack and takeover of the islands, which with the Treaty of Paris resulted in their turnover again to the French as is ceded all of New France to British possession except these islands specifically. 
Homeland Security concentrates the fence in correlation to population density, but as Robert Crooks a self appointed border patrol puts it, “the smart smuggler ‘aint going to go where the high security is at, the smart smuggler is going to take their shit to the weak spot.” Congress seems to think that the wall is the solution to all and as seen in the video, there are even suggestions of electrifying the fence so that the function is similar to that which is used for livestock. To further the issue, Stossel points out that the majority of ‘illegal’s’ come to the States by legal means though documentation and check points, but just stay past the expiration of their visas.
While Stossel recognizes that people should be restrained from freely entering the country for the sake of stopping ‘freeloaders’ and terrorists, Stossel does not provide an alternative which renders his efforts to be more of a rant than an effective opposition.
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