It's a real hit and miss this time of year. It's Christmas shopping season. I would say get to the border no later than 6:00 am.

does anyone knows if the boarder guard suspect individual have undeclared items at the boarder. if they ask individual to unlock their phone. do they have right to refuse?

This was on an episode of Border Security. Canadian traveller coming back into Canada was asked to provide the password to access his laptop and he refused, demanding to see where it says he has to provide his password. Border guys presented him with the law that says you have to provide access, so I assume you'd have to unlock your phone if asked.

To my understanding, you have to unlock your phone when asked to by a border guard for "national security" reasons.
But you do not have to do it for police when you are being questioned as you have a higher expectation of privacy as it's a "mini computer". However they can still go through your phone if it does not have a passcode since the data in the phone is now readily available to anyone.
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That's bull. Maybe true for visitors but not for Canadian citizen. I asked that question to supervisor when I had my nexus interview. She said being Canadian u can refuse to answer questions like where u work. Etc. And u cannot be denied entry however ur refusalt will simply raise more suspicion. But password for sure.. If holding a Canadian passport u can refuse
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Got to the border at 8:30am, wait around 1 hour. It was a nice, sunny day so got to Redmond by 11 just in time to have lunch/ shop with the fam.

Should you refuse to give your password to the border officer, it raises possible suspicion on what you are hiding from them. They have the option to seize your device, and good luck trying to get it back. It will be a lengthy process.
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last i recall
they can search your devices
you don't have to give them your password
they can seize your device or make an image file of it for further inspection

I get stopped often because I'm young and drive a heaty beamer. They make me enter my password and go through my phone every time, looking through emails/facebook/messages/paypal etc; It's now a habit of mines to delete anything that and everything I don't want them to see before I cross the border.

http://www.ecuad.ca/sites/www.ecuad....s-Handbook.pdf

Customs Act

CBSA . unlike the police, are exempt from obtaining warrants to search people.

Refuse, and you will be detained for a long, long time.

They can search, but one is not obligated to unlock one's cellphone. If your cell has no lock, then yes, they can check it without warrant.

If one doesn't cooperate, he won't have a very pleasant day, but AFAIK, one is not obligated to disclose anything as it may be against Canada's charters of rights and freedoms. (11c... similar to the 5th in US).

From my readings of the custom act, (after watching that CBSA show a lot) I think the wording on it is quite ambiguous. But I doubt CBSA is willing to take this to court (unless you are a known criminal). Since if they lose, they will lose all future capabilities to scare people into cooperating to obtain stuff they are not entitled legally. (But it becomes legal once you cooperate)

This is something I found on reedit ... written by a former officer with CBSA

IAmA former BSO for the Canada Border Services Agency, AMaA! : canada
Finally, if you have any electronics on you, CBSA has full authority (no warrant needed) to search the entire contents of your phone/laptop/ipad/etc. So someone can read everything on your devices. Oh, and if you want to be a smartass and encrypt it - they can both retain the device until such time as you give the password, AND take you to court to compel you to tell the password (note, the right against self incrimination would NOT apply).
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Just make sure there's nothing to hide on your devices and who cares if they search it. I'd rather give them my password than sit there for god knows how long until they decide to let me go
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I am going to put Integra Girl images on my iPhone. That'll learn 'em.

Burn their eyes out..................... what has been seen cannot...........be......

They can withheld the device if you don't give the password. But AFAIK, there hasn't been any case in court that required one to give out the password. And the items would have to be returned at some point as it's personal property.

Again as I said before, the wordings on Customs act is ambiguos. Hence allowing CBSA to exercise things that maybe beyond the boundary as the line is not clearly drawn. But if one insists (say a person with highly confidential information in his posession), I am not sure CBSA is willing to go to court to have the actual line drawn by court (as it might not play in their favor) unless you have the background.

they are fucking assholes, thats what I can tell from reading the last page

lol @

Yesterday two plus hour lineups...... Today at 7 am 5 minute lineup. Good thing I crossed today instead.
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Man, all the bridges that leads to crossings in Ontario is toll. Fuuuu
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The two plus hours was awesome especially when you have nexus... I was there...in the nexus lane of course...
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Just got pulled into Canadian secondary because my tires looked too new.

They are 3 yr old winter tires shined up with meguiars tire shine last Friday!!

They searched my phone as well.... Amazing....and of course after 10mins of waiting in the secondary area inside while they searched the car, I was free to go.

If they created a huge fuss...think they would accept the date stamp on the sidewalls as proof the tires are not new ?

Just be glad you weren't there when it was busy. I've been in secondary for over an hour before.
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so with the exchange rate at 1.08, has it affected your shopping/travelling/gasoline needs in the United States?

Wonder when Bellingham becomes a ghost town again.

I'm still willing to head down south. Although if it gets to 1.11+ then I might think otherwise.