Border Blamed for Declining Tourism Numbers

Border crossings in Fort Frances and Rainy River continue to be a bone of contention for the area's tourism officials.

Executive Director of Ontario's Sunset Country Gerry Cariou says area lodges are reporting large declines in American visitors, and point to the area's border as a contributing factors.

"Canada has over the past ten years since 9-11 has established an unfriendly border to American travellers," says Cariou. "Fort Frances and Rainy River, specifically, seem to be the canary in the coal mine where it's almost the serial turnbacks of people of minor criminality much more pronounced than the other entry points across Canada."

Cariou believes millions of dollars in revenue has been lost by the enforcement of rules that restrict Americans with prior drunk driving convictions from entering Canada.