I've been away from Minnesota for more than two years, but every now and then I recall the (syntax-challenged) signs that became ubiquitous after the state legislature made it legal to carry concealed weapons: "(This business) bans guns in these premises." I always wondered what kind of Wild West impression this made on foreign visitors. And this was Minnesota, for God's sake, not Texas.
A cliche holds that Canadians are Americans with health care and no handguns. I'm making no comment on that, but I will say if you find yourself crossing the border, it would be wise to refrain from packing heat.
Some recent visitors to Victoria found that out the hard way, returning to the U.S. with a criminal conviction (and $500 fine) as a souvenir after they brought a 9mm Glock handgun into Canada on the Coho Ferry. As the story in the Victoria Times Colonist describes, this guy got off easy. In a similar case, an Oregon man got himself a 30-day stay at Victoria's not-so-luxurious Crowbar Hotel.
Of course, handguns do find their way into Canada, as the gang wars in Vancouver and Toronto make clear. But we're doing our best to keep the firepower on the other side of the border.
Be advised: "Canada bans guns in these premises."
