Canadians are fed up with American visitors crossing the northern border illegally. 

That’s why some Canadians are tracking down and reporting Americans who they suspect have crossed into the country illegally. 

Canada is a popular destination among Americans.  Before the pandemic, when Americans could choose almost any country to travel to, Canada was their second most popular foreign destination, ranking only behind Mexico.  

In the first six months of 2019, U.S. residents made more than 10 million trips to Canada – the highest level in 12 years, as reported in The New York Times.

That all changed when the borders were closed to tourists in March with officials extending the ban into the summer as cases continue to surge in the United States. 

The number of coronavirus infections in Canada is a fraction of that of the U.S., and Canadians want to ensure numbers don’t increase.

But the ban hasn’t stopped Americans from trying to sneak into Canada and locals are not happy about it. 

A man from Alaska visiting a woman he met online in Canada was caught after a group of concerned citizens spotted his license plates. Video footage was reportedly used to confirm the driver’s identity, and he was questioned in his room. When he was unable to show that he had complied with quarantine laws, the police were called. The man, whose identity has not been released to the public, was issued an $870 ticket under the Alberta Public Health Act and ordered to leave the following day.

Instead, he showed up with the woman for a massage the next day where he was reminded that he could not stay. 

The couple decided to drive to the Banff Gondola, a popular tourist destination, where the Alaska license again prompted someone to call the R.C.M.P.

The pair were intercepted at the summit and he was charged with violating the federal Quarantine Act and faces up to six months in prison and an additional fine of up to $560,000 if convicted.

Meanwhile, residents on Vancouver Island are monitoring boat traffic to see who turns off their identification transponder. They’re assuming that any vessel that goes dark is trespassing and should be reported. 

There have been so many reports of intimidation by Canadians toward people with U.S. license plates that the premier of British Columbia, John Horgan, had to remind people to “Be Calm. Be Kind” at a recent news conference.