Bringing food into Canada

[SeaDogAK]

I’m having a hard time finding anything online about current customs restrictions on bringing food into Canada. I don’t want to buy a bunch of apples, or eggs, or milk, and have to trash them at customs. Does anyone have any recent experience from going through Canada customs?

 

[Alguires]

Google: bringing food into Canada for personal use.

 

[ktdtx]

An event I thought humorous--the routine searching of my boat at Bedwell (near Ganges) resulted in the discovery of 2 apples.


My choices were 1-forfeit the apples to them or 2-keep the apples and eat them but would have to return the cores, with seeds when I re-entered Canada 5 or 6 months later.
I surrendered the apples.

 

[twistedtree]

We entered April 17 and were only asked about tobacco and alcohol. That was via a phone call from the customs dock in Port Sidney. But in my experience it will vary.

 

[SeaDogAK]

Google: bringing food into Canada for personal use.

Gosh, I would never have thought to check Google. Thank you for the very helpful reply.

 

[BandB]

Google: bringing food into Canada for personal use.

Wifey B: First page in search is

https://inspection.canada.ca/food-s...-personal-use/eng/1389630031549/1389630282362

and here is the table showing what you can bring from US and max quantities.

https://inspection.canada.ca/food-s...onal-use/eng/1389630031549/1389630282362#tab1

Warning warning warning. Packaging. Like if you take meats out of grocery packages and then freeze, you're up a famous creek without a paddle. Got to prove where purchased and when.

A recommendation for those who vacuum seal and freeze things like we do is to include the original label in the sealed package. Otherwise you'll never prove the potatoes were graded US #1.

 

[AnnapolisJoy]

Anything brought in that is for personal consumption and not for sale in Canada is considered “ships stores”. Includes all food and alcohol.

Returning to the US to fruit and pot are forbidden.

Have a great visit. If on the east coast check in at Grand Mahanan Island. A phone call and no agents there to visit your boat.

 

[Bacchus]

Anything brought in that is for personal consumption and not for sale in Canada is considered “ships stores”. Includes all food and alcohol.



Returning to the US to fruit and pot are forbidden.



Have a great visit. If on the east coast check in at Grand Mahanan Island. A phone call and no agents there to visit your boat.

Some crossing locations are puckier than others.
I know folks that had frozen chicken and had to forfeit it. Would have been OK cooked? But they didn't want to take time to cook it before clearing.
So pre-cooking (par boiling!) and freezing might still allow flexibility & time savings for final prep.
I have heard other stories at different times about beef, poultry, eggs.
Alcohol can be a tough one but I have reported I have a "stocked bar" aboard and had / started to read of the inventory & approx qty of open bottles and agent cut me off asking only if all for our personal consumption and none left in Canada as gifts? I made it a point to have all/ mostly open containers in my bar.

 

[BandB]

Some crossing locations are puckier than others.
I know folks that had frozen chicken and had to forfeit it. Would have been OK cooked? But they didn't want to take time to cook it before clearing.
So pre-cooking (par boiling!) and freezing might still allow flexibility & time savings for final prep.
I have heard other stories at different times about beef, poultry, eggs.
Alcohol can be a tough one but I have reported I have a "stocked bar" aboard and had / started to read of the inventory & approx qty of open bottles and agent cut me off asking only if all for our personal consumption and none left in Canada as gifts? I made it a point to have all/ mostly open containers in my bar.

I know others to have potatoes confiscated and we have had our freezer checked in both Vancouver and Halifax. Emphasis changes depending on other factors. For instance, when Mad Cow Disease outbreak was occurring, they checked beef very carefully.

 

[RCook]

We entered April 17 and were only asked about tobacco and alcohol. That was via a phone call from the customs dock in Port Sidney. But in my experience it will vary.

Same here, entered today 5/02.

 

[sunchaser]

For those cruising up the Pacific Coast, there is the option to purchase fresh foods in Canada and avoid any potential hassles. Sidney, Campbell River, Comox, Powell River, Port McNeil, Port Hardy and Nanaimo all have great grocery stores. Likewise the Safeway in Prince Rupert is more than satisfactory as well when entering Canada from the North.

 

[CaptTom]

Coming back the other way one time I forgot I had an orange in the fridge. The US customs asked if I had any fruits or vegetables and I confidently said "no." Only later did I realize I'd broken the law.


And then it occurred to me. Oranges don't grow in Canada. It probably came from the US to begin with. Gotta love Customs regulations.

 

[RedRascal]

Quote:
Originally Posted by twistedtree View Post
We entered April 17 and were only asked about tobacco and alcohol. That was via a phone call from the customs dock in Port Sidney. But in my experience it will vary.

RCook...Same here, entered today 5/02.​

Interesting, we crossed 4/3 by land and no agricultural questions. I thought it was a one off when we crossed not to get the ag questions but maybe the questioning has changed. One tip for bringing Washington grown apples into Washington State from Canada is to have leave the stickers on them that say product of Washington. It's my understanding that they'll allow them across.

 

[Stabi]

Anything brought in that is for personal consumption and not for sale in Canada is considered “ships stores”. Includes all food and alcohol.


I do not know where you got this information, but this has not been the case on the West Coast.

Take this web advise at your own risk. I sure wouldn't.

 

[markpierce]

Canadian customs people concerning my one-time-experience entering British Columbia by land was over firearms (had none), but they did confiscate two apples.

 

[OldDan1943]

Are canned goods excluded?

 

[AlaskaProf]

Anything brought in that is for personal consumption and not for sale in Canada is considered “ships stores”. Includes all food and alcohol.


I do not know where you got this information, but this has not been the case on the West Coast.

Take this web advise at your own risk. I sure wouldn't.

Having seen two hand-trucks of cases of "ship's stores" being guarded by a guy in blue uniform on the dock in Victoria, I'd agree with your cautionary message.

 

[Slowmo]

Does anyone know if the check in station at Van Isle Marina is operating? In the past I always found this to be a very convenient place to check in. It was typically easy to get into, calm, and then I could get moorage at the marina. That station never had live agents, just the phone check-in.

As to food, in all my crossings into Canada (up to CoVID) I've never encountered a meaningful issue. If you look at the Canadian website most things we'd normally have in stores are permitted for personal use up to a limit, but those limits seem pretty generous to me for most of us. If you're a charter yacht with big stores then you might have to be careful. Alcohol is where we've always had to be the most careful. They have specific limits: 1.5L of wine or one bottle of spirits. That they will ask about.

 

[Portage_Bay]

Coming back the other way one time I forgot I had an orange in the fridge. The US customs asked if I had any fruits or vegetables and I confidently said "no." Only later did I realize I'd broken the law.


And then it occurred to me. Oranges don't grow in Canada. It probably came from the US to begin with. Gotta love Customs regulations.

I once had to surrender my sack of Idaho spuds when entering Canada at Sydney. Only to walk to the nearest store and purchase another bag of Idho spuds, same brand, same packaging.

 

[Bacchus]

Alcohol is where we've always had to be the most careful. They have specific limits: 1.5L of wine or one bottle of spirits. That they will ask about.

See post #8 above.
I have reported what they classified as ships stores of alcohol a couple times.
I did not use the term when describing a "shocked bar" but they did and said it was OK as long as I attested that none was for gifts or was to remain in Canada.

 

[friz]

I once had to surrender my sack of Idaho spuds when entering Canada at Sydney. Only to walk to the nearest store and purchase another bag of Idho spuds, same brand, same packaging.

Not surprised. Fulfills a basic purpose of gov't which is to keep us laughing.

 

[LenBuchanan]

You have to watch what you bring back into the U.S. as well. Don't know if it has changed since, but back in 15, after a summer in the North Channel of Lake Huron, we were asked by U.S. Customs Agents at Drummond Island if we had any eggs.
We had just bought a dozen eggs in Canada. Had we 'hard boiled' all the eggs, that would have been fine, however, they were fresh and we had to turn them over to Agents. Bird Flu being the reason given.
Not the end of the world, but surprising.

 

[rslifkin]

See post #8 above.
I have reported what they classified as ships stores of alcohol a couple times.
I did not use the term when describing a "shocked bar" but they did and said it was OK as long as I attested that none was for gifts or was to remain in Canada.

I've heard mentions elsewhere that they tend not to worry much about open bottles of alcohol on a boat, the concern is primarily around sealed bottles that could easily be left behind in Canada.

 

[leeman]

Not surprised. Fulfills a basic purpose of gov't which is to keep us laughing.

No, it's because you don't understand the system. I presume you're not a farmer who imports or exports.

To export from the US to Canada you need at least two important things:

1). A phytosanitary certificate.

2). An inspection by the feds.

Then add all the paperwork.

The potatoes you buy in the Canadian grocery store have gone through the hoops while the potatoes you bought in the states may not have. Same bag, same potatoes, but no federal process no export.

There may very well be a difference in the spuds in the bags- the system will catch it if Canada and the states are doing their jobs. There might just be a shady operator or two out there.

Leeman

 

[friz]

Touche leeman!

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Canadian customs people concerning my one-time-experience entering British Columbia by land was over firearms (had none), but they did confiscate two apples.

I once had to surrender my sack of Idaho spuds when entering Canada at Sydney. Only to walk to the nearest store and purchase another bag of Idho spuds, same brand, same packaging.

Same thing happened to us. No American/Washington apples. Went to the store in Sidney an bought more apples. All from Washington.

See post #8 above.
I have reported what they classified as ships stores of alcohol a couple times.
I did not use the term when describing a "shocked bar" but they did and said it was OK as long as I attested that none was for gifts or was to remain in Canada.

We are NEXUS, which means you need to properly declare and be truthful what you have. On alcohol, we tell the truth about how much we have and declare 'Ship stores/Private use only!'

We have never had any issues with Canadian customs.

 

[SteveK]

Twilight Zone
Imagine if you will being a Canadian living in Canada with a boat moored in Point Roberts. You cross the border, declare what you are bringing in, go shop for provisions in PR and set sail for Canada.
Clear customs nexus style.
How long have you been away? An hour and fifteen minutes. Explain boat moored in US port.
What have you to declare? Ships stores for the week away.
Fruit? yes nice cherries. Well, you cannot bring cherries bought in WA into Canada, but if you agree to return the pits to the US we will let it go this time.
Alcohol? Yes enough to tide us over. That is over the import limits. Don't do it again, OK. OK.
Actually found the customs guys both ways understanding of the logistics of provisioning.

 

[OldDan1943]

Twilight Zone
Imagine if you will being a Canadian living in Canada with a boat moored in Point Roberts. You cross the border, declare what you are bringing in, go shop for provisions in PR and set sail for Canada.
Clear customs nexus style.
How long have you been away? An hour and fifteen minutes. Explain boat moored in US port.
What have you to declare? Ships stores for the week away.
Fruit? yes nice cherries. Well, you cannot bring cherries bought in WA into Canada, but if you agree to return the pits to the US we will let it go this time.
Alcohol? Yes enough to tide us over. That is over the import limits. Don't do it again, OK. OK.
Actually found the customs guys both ways understanding of the logistics of provisioning.

You could have shared the cherries with the Custom Officer. Take a break, sit and eat the cherries.

I wonder how many bottle of free booze they collect each year?

How many gallons of booze do they allow?
I have no problem cracking the seal on each bottle. Will that make them happy?

I remember the hassle with women and breast milk at the airport. They had to drink a little from each bottle. Of course that meant the containers were no longer sterile. I would like to believe this rule has been modified.

 

[soin2la]

Does anyone know if the check in station at Van Isle Marina is operating?

It is.
Not always manned though, so the usual phone proceedure.

 

[Robster_in_edmonds]

For five summers pre-COVID we travelled from the Puget Sound up to Victoria and the Gulf Islands. In every case we explained we were summer liveaboards and had ship's stores and proceeded to list each opened bottle of alcohol and how much was remaining. In every case except the last one, they let us go through without a hassle. On our last trip a cranky Canadian (there aren't many of them, but when they get cranky they get really cranky) informed me that "ship's stores" isn't a thing and while he would let us through "this time," he was making a note that we wouldn't be allowed anything over the official limit in the future. I have no idea if he was telling the truth or just felt like hassling me.