So.

We’ve been back and forth to Canada several times since 9/11, and have experienced some relatively lengthy waits, but never any real problems. And, I’ll admit that I’d heard, here and there, that they were asking for birth certificates now, but we’d never been asked for it, so I sort of forgot about it.

We spent the night in Toledo Thursday night, then headed up to Detroit to visit the new visitors’ center at the Solanus Casey shrine (subject of the next blog) and then across the border to Windsor for lunch, a visit to Chapters’ and a Labatt’s purchasing run. Michael says the stuff you buy in the US tastes different – and not better- than what they sell in Canada. I wouldn’t know. It’s been so long since I’ve had a beer, I can’t remember what it tastes like.

So we get across the bridge, get in the absolutely slowest line at the check-in point and are confronted with a gentleman who is being very, very careful about his job.

He asked the normal questions (citizenship, purpose and length of visit…..um…lunch?) and then asked for identification.

First problem. My first initial search turned up nothing, and then the rushed moment before we left flashed through my head. The moment in which I took out the envelope with just withdrawn-cash from my purse and stuffed it in a drawer. The envelope which, of course, still had my driver’s license in it.

But that wasn’t the only problem. ID’s for the kids? No. Birth certificates? Uh…no. Don’t you know that you need them? No sir.

He writes out a yellow slip directs us to the search and seizure line.

“Get out of the car please.”

So, we’re all lined up there, Michael, me, Katie and little Joseph, at a safe distance from the car while another fellow searches it. It’s Cops, Windsor. He finishes with the trunk.

“What do you do for a living, sir?”

(Why is he asking him? I thought Canadians were all liberated and stuff..)

Michael allows as he’s in publishing. The officer waves his flashlight towards the trunk –

The books. The books leftover from the talk.

“What are you doing with all those books?”

“My wife gave a talk in Toledo last night…”

“…and those are the leftover books. We’re not going to do anything with them here. We just came for lunch…”

He looks at us.

“You didn’t declare them. I could seize them, you know.”

Go ahead, I’m thinking. You anti-Christian Canadians, determined to stop the truth from entering your country. Who are we, Brother Andrew?

Well, we got in. And most importantly we got back out. I am not writing this from a holding cell.

And this week some time – I’m going to the passport office.