Canadian Boarders and Still Parts

birzzz

If I would cross the Canadian (US to CA) boarder with some still configuration parts (plates, parrot, dephlegmator, etc..) what can I tell the boarder agents what are those parts intended to use for, aside from distilling?

Thx

punkin

Sculpture.

birzzz

I mean, really?

Kapea

Bottled water plant hardware/plumbing (sanitary pipe fittings).

crozdog

water purifier parts.

punkin

Really. Who cares if they believe you?

Is home brewing legal in your country?

birzzz

Home brewing yes, but doesn't seem like it is for home distilling, from what I can read:

Excise Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. E-14)

Offences and Punishment

Marginal note:Exercising any business of distilling without licence

158 (1) Every person who, without having a licence under this Act then in force,

(a) distils or rectifies any spirits, or makes or ferments any beer, wash or wort,

(b) assists in distilling or rectifying any spirits, or in making or fermenting any beer, wash or wort, in any unlicensed place,

(c) imports, makes, commences to make, sells, offers for sale or delivers any still, worm, rectifying or other apparatus suitable for the manufacture of spirits or for the rectification of spirits, or any part of the apparatus,

(d) completely or partially sets up or assists in setting up, prepares or partially prepares for working, any such still, worm, rectifying or other apparatus,

(e) has in his possession, in any place, any such still, worm, rectifying or other apparatus, or any part or parts thereof, or any beer, wash or wort suitable for the manufacture of spirits, except in cases of duly registered chemical stills as provided for in this Act, or in whose place or on whose premises those things are found,

Apparatus to be seized

(2) All stills, worms, fermenting-tuns, rectifying or other apparatus suitable for the manufacture of spirits, or for the rectification of spirits, or parts thereof, and all beer, wash, wort or spirits that are found in the possession of any unlicensed person, or in any unlicensed place, shall be forfeited to the Crown, and shall be seized by any officer, and may either be destroyed when and where found or removed to a place of safe-keeping in the discretion of the seizing officer.

Kapea

Well there you go then. Fair warning not to possess unlicensed still parts, nor transport them across national borders.

birzzz

There is one thing I'm trying to hold on as an escape. This sentence at the beginning: Marginal note: Exercising any business of distilling without licence.

Well I'm not doing any business with it as far as I know, so this whole law text doesn't really apply to me, no?

birzzz

Maybe someone at SD can chime in and share experience when shipping parts to Canada? Has anything ever happened as far as you know?

Thanks,

birzzz

OK I got my answers after all. If other people need to know it next time here is the answer I got from the Canadian customs agency:

You can cross boarder with a complete still regardless if you have a license to distill or not. If you don't have a license you just can't use it by law. When you declare it at the border you will be filed as a still owner and you will certainly have a control visit by an officer one day to see if you are using it without a proper distiller license.

Thanks all for your suggestions :)

punkin

@birzzz said: If I would cross the Canadian (US to CA) boarder with some still configuration parts (plates, parrot, dephlegmator, etc..) what can I tell the boarder agents what are those parts intended to use for, aside from distilling?

Thx

Not really the answer to your question though was it?

birzzz

I first asked the question thinking it was illegal because I misinterpreted the statute. So yes you did answer my first interrogation :)

crozdog

I'd say they were parts for brewing /water filtration etc - don't mention distilling. they will have no idea anyway and by doing so you won't be flagged as a still owner.... just sayin....

DonMateo

@crozdog. When I got my still gear into Chile I said it was water distillation equipment. My mate when he picked it up from Customs was asked by the top customs agent what this gear was for. My mate said making iced tea. The customs guy. Said " Iced Tea, yeh right, piss off", But in Chile is not illegal to have a still.

Smaug

"Sanitary SS pipe fittings" have been in use long before distilling adopted them for use.

Kapea

They've been industry standard in bottled water plants and food processing facilities for several decades.

punkin

Not to mention pharmaceutical and dairy industries.

Fiji_Spirits

Dammit. When I clicked on this thread I was pretty sure we were gonna talk about pirates...

Just...

dammit.

RobertS

Dare to dream.

punkin

Yeah i have been going to fix the spelling error but i like it too much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YUiBBltOg4

birzzz

Border, border, border!!

Sorry, but english isn't my first language. Have some indulgence

Thanks

Kapea

I thought it was going to be about rental properties and couch potatoes...

zymurgybob

@Fiji_Spirits said: Dammit. When I clicked on this thread I was pretty sure we were gonna talk about pirates...

Just...

dammit.

...or those people living in the spare bedroom.

zymurgybob

@birzzz said: Border, border, border!!

Sorry, but english isn't my first language. Have some indulgence

Thanks

Absolutely nothing personal, Birzz, but on this forum you have to expect getting flipped a little shit on occasion. In truth, second-language English speakers are often better with the language than we natives are.

punkin

You betcha, as an aussie i can rely on not being understood by the rest of the English speaking world and also by those from the States. Larry will attest to that, he usually has to interpret for our interpreter on my behalf and he only gets every second or third word of strine

richard

G'ud on yer bruce

Fiji_Spirits

more funner this way anyhow.

Smaug

@punkin said: You betcha, as an aussie i can rely on not being understood by the rest of the English speaking world and also by those from the States. Larry will attest to that, he usually has to interpret for our interpreter on my behalf and he only gets every second or third word of strine

And then,,,amazingly, you are a superior body language interpreter. You use me to tell them,,,then I need you to tell me their response lol..

zymurgybob

@punkin said: You betcha, as an aussie i can rely on not being understood by the rest of the English speaking world and also by those from the States.

I see whatcha did there. Funny.

punkin

Only Canadians would pick that up. Well done.