Inside 'Border Security: Canada's Front Line'

In this post-9/11 world, there's no more annoying part of traveling than crossing the border. Whether it's those two-hour wait times on land or those personal space violating pat-downs at the airport, nobody likes dealing with customs.

This is at least partly why the Canadian Border Services Agency is allowing cameras to document all of the things they do to keep the country safe on the new show Border Security: Canada's Front Line. (Premiering Sept. 6 at 9pm ET/10 pm ET on National Geographic Channel) The show follows CBSA officials at the Vancouver International Airport and the Peace Arch Border Crossing in Surrey, B.C. as they encounter everything from phony tourists here to work, belligerent visitors smuggling contraband, toys packed with heroin and weapons disguised as cell phones.
"The idea here was to just increase public awareness," says Arif Jamal, a CBSA agent at YVR. "We want the public to be aware of some of the laws and regulations that we may enforce. Through this show, you'll get a sense of the inner workings of the CBSA. The job from our perspective and some of the things that we go through. We hope it's really informative and educational."

In the very first episode, you do see people getting in hot water because of confusion about Canadian versus American Law. One American snowboarder was on his way to Whistler from California when he was pulled aside for possession of marijuana. He came across with a legal amount in at least two jars, along with THC buttered popcorn and his California medical marijuana license. He figured that if medical marijuana was legal in Canada and he already had a license from his home state, he'd be in the clear. However, he didn't realize you still can't take it across the border. In a similar incident, a man from Texas had to take his guns back to the U.S. because, although they were legal in that country, the weapons remained unregistered in Canada.

"That does happen," says Lorraine Leger, another CBSA officer at YVR. "The best advice we can offer is just to be an informed traveler and we have a number of resources to help with that, including our website www.cbsa.gc.ca and our border information line: 1-800-461-9999."

Of course, it's very general and arbitrary advice because they can't give too much away. After all, it really is a matter of national security. For something more specific, they recommend watching the show, as there are a number of tips within it and numerous examples of what not to do.

Speaking of what not to do, both Jamal and Leger have seen some pretty crazy things in their years on Canada's front line. "We've seen live birds coming in through clothing in people's bags and people walking up to us and having live reptiles in their pockets, so we've definitely seen some pretty bizarre things," says Jamal.

As much as we all hate going through security, there are some things anyone can do to make it easier on themselves. "One is have all your documentation ready," says Leger. "So your passport, any receipts from any purchases you made and also be willing to declare all your purchases. While something like apples are not allowed into Canada, if you declare it, there's no problem and we will dispose of it accordingly."

While security personnel can seem a bit wooden on the job and in conversation, making nice with travelers isn't truly their responsibility. They are only charged with keeping out suspicious food, plants, animals and people. The cameras didn't get in the way of that mandate and all travelers who were checked gave their permission to be filmed, even at their most vulnerable.

"There seems to be some confusion as to what the CBSA does and our mandate, so this show is an opportunity to educate the public on CBSA and our role," says Leger. "Also, just as a showcase the diversity of the interesting work that we do and to educate the public with travel tips and advice."

Well, maybe with this show they'll be able to make some friends and influence people to realize that the CBSA isn't so bad," says Jamal. "A lot of people just cross the border and that's the end of their dealings with us, so through the show you'll get to see some of the complex cases that we deal with, which I'm sure, for the public, would be quite exciting."