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New Rally Schedule

About 5 years ago my wife and I tried to enter Canada with birth cirtificates. It was a no go. The Canadian lady got pretty snotty with me for not knowing the rules. It was my bad, I was told what I needed but thought the old birth cirtificate would take care of it. I did not have a passport yet. It was just a spurr of the moment day trip. No big deal. I plan on going back for a vistit so I will have the passport next crossing.

John

Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act ( http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/I-2.5/index.html ) does not require a passport for entry at a land border crossing. There may have been extenuating circumstances in your case that precluded entry. If there is a reasonable expectation that the United States will refuse admission on re-entry, admission to Canada may be denied as the person would be stuck with no means of support.

What if some one is a dual citizen - a citizen of USA and Canada; how does DUI conviction affect? I mean he is legally allowed to live and move freely in either country.

I am not even sure if one travels into Canada with Canadian passport and travels back into USA with American passport, how that would work?

There are tens of thousands such dual citizens living in both the countries.

Citizens of Canada and the US may not be denied entry to the country of citizenship. Without a passport, verification of citizenship may be an involved process. With a passport there are no grounds to deny entry to the country of citizenship. A dual citizen of both the US and Canada cannot be denied entry to either, provided it can be proved through information databases.
 
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the info. Maybe that was what they were saving me from was getting back to the USA. I ended up with a person that was not having a good day. I have never as much had a speeding ticket let alone anything else. Same with my wife. But, I now own a passport to take care of the problem.

I have been in Canada a half dozen times in my life and have enjoyed the beauty of your country. A Canada rally would be great!!!
 
This may be the wrong venue for my question, but here goes...

Would the MOA board be willing to work with a small group of people that are eager to try to overcome the obstacles of a cross-border rally? I think this would include:

1. Establish the major obstacles that MUST be overcome, or there is no rally
2. Establish other obstacles that, if overcome, would contribute to the success of the rally
3. Have regular checkpoints with the board to discuss progress and decide if it is worthwhile continuing

As a Canadian that travels to the US each week for work, and has had to go through the Passport / Nexus / Work permit route for my job, I think these problems are solvable, but they may not be. We will only know if we try, eh? :)

Please feel free to PM me if you would prefer to take this offline.

Jim

Jim -
Please call the BMW MOA office and ask to speak to Ray Zimmerman, or the Board member from Quebec, Marc Soullierre. His contact number is in the front of every BMW Owners News. Marc or Ray will be able to give you many of the details about the issues we faced when we hosted the rally in Trenton. I had a wonderful time in Trenton, but honestly cannot see a way to ever do it again.

:cry

Even though the site was great, the entertainment was wonderful, and the community open and receptive... the overwhelming issues were costly and sometimes insurmountable.

If you think Canada needs an MOA event, have you considered trying to come up with a suggestion for a weekend getaway? Do you think there are 100 people who would want to attend a smaller event? Do you have an idea / suggestion?

Thanks for being a member!
 
Jim -
Please call the BMW MOA office and ask to speak to Ray Zimmerman, or the Board member from Quebec, Marc Soullierre. His contact number is in the front of every BMW Owners News. Marc or Ray will be able to give you many of the details about the issues we faced when we hosted the rally in Trenton. I had a wonderful time in Trenton, but honestly cannot see a way to ever do it again.

:cry

Even though the site was great, the entertainment was wonderful, and the community open and receptive... the overwhelming issues were costly and sometimes insurmountable.

If you think Canada needs an MOA event, have you considered trying to come up with a suggestion for a weekend getaway? Do you think there are 100 people who would want to attend a smaller event? Do you have an idea / suggestion?

Thanks for being a member!

Many BMW enthusiasts were at BMW Motorrad Days at Mosport raceway last weekend. The event is underwritten by BMW Motorrad Canada, held in conjunction with a round of the Canadian superbike championship series.

If you buy your ticket in advance from a BMW dealer, you get admission/camping at the track, a separate BMW entrance/parking at the track, Saturday dinner, a goody bag with a $300 pair of BMW Motorsports sunglasses as well; all for $50.

There were also vendors, a BMW auto performance driving school and the motorcycle test ride fleet, with off road training for the appropriate bikes.

The MOA presence was a membership tent in the vendor area, but perhaps MOA could have an enhanced presence at this event?

http://www.bmw-motorrad.ca/bmwmotorraddays/
 
Count yourself lucky, in Pennsylvania, a US passport is one of the few forms of ID that guarantees your right to vote.

A. What photo IDs are acceptable on November 6 and for future elections?
Acceptable PHOTO IDs include:

1. A PA driver's license: Must be currently valid or expired less than 12 months at the time the voter is casting a vote.

2. An ID issued by PennDOT: Must be currently valid or expired less than 12 months at the time the voter is casting a vote.

3. A U.S. passport: Must have an expiration date. Expiration date must be after 11/6/12.

4. An active duty or retired U.S. military ID, including an ID for members of the PA National Guard: No expiration date required.

5. A military dependent’s ID: Must have an expiration date. Expiration date must be after 11/6/12.

6. An employee ID issued by federal, PA, PA county or PA municipal government. (A School District employee ID is not acceptable.) Must have an expiration date. Expiration date must be after 11/6/12.

7. An ID issued by an accredited PA university, college, seminary, community college or two-year college to students, faculty, employees and alumni. Must have an expiration date. Expiration date must be after 11/6/12.

8. An ID issued by a PA care facility (such as a long-term care nursing facility, assisted living residence or a personal care home). Must have an expiration date. Expiration date must be after 11/6/12.

And an ID card for voting only is FREE.
 
A. What photo IDs are acceptable on November 6 and for future elections?
Acceptable PHOTO IDs include:

1. A PA driver's license: Must be currently valid or expired less than 12 months at the time the voter is casting a vote.

2. An ID issued by PennDOT: Must be currently valid or expired less than 12 months at the time the voter is casting a vote.

3. A U.S. passport: Must have an expiration date. Expiration date must be after 11/6/12.

4. An active duty or retired U.S. military ID, including an ID for members of the PA National Guard: No expiration date required.

5. A military dependent’s ID: Must have an expiration date. Expiration date must be after 11/6/12.

6. An employee ID issued by federal, PA, PA county or PA municipal government. (A School District employee ID is not acceptable.) Must have an expiration date. Expiration date must be after 11/6/12.

7. An ID issued by an accredited PA university, college, seminary, community college or two-year college to students, faculty, employees and alumni. Must have an expiration date. Expiration date must be after 11/6/12.

8. An ID issued by a PA care facility (such as a long-term care nursing facility, assisted living residence or a personal care home). Must have an expiration date. Expiration date must be after 11/6/12.

And an ID card for voting only is FREE.

Any of those ID's, excluding a PA license can be challenged. And, if your PA license has your name misspelled, as mine does, your vote is provisional.

The free ID's became available this month after several PennDot offices instituted charges. In addition, some counties in PA don't even have a PennDot office that can issue ID's

College ID's only qualify if they are dated.........none of the major public schools in PA currently offer such an ID.



Here's the PA process, from the PennDot website...........

If a voter does not POSSESS PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION FOR VOTING PURPOSES as defined at section 102(z.5)(2) of the Pennsylvania Election Code (25 P.S. ?º 2602(z.5)(2)) and requires proof of identification for voting purposes, the following applies:

You must declare under oath or affirmation by completing the Oath/ Affirmation Voter ID form that you do not possess any of the following forms of identification: In particular,

-Identification issued by the United States Government that includes my name, a photograph, and an expiration date that is not expired.*

- Identification issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that includes my name, a photograph, and an expiration date that is not expired (unless issued by the Department of Transportation, then the expiration of the identification cannot be more than 12 months past the expiration date).

- Identification issued by a municipality of this Commonwealth to an employee of that municipality that includes my name, a photograph, and an expiration date that is not expired.

- Identification issued by an accredited Pennsylvania public or private institution of higher learning that includes my name, a photograph, and an expiration date that is not expired.

- Identification issued by a Pennsylvania care facility that includes my name, a photograph, and an expiration date that is not expired.

*In the case of a document from an agency of the armed forces of the United States or their reserve components, including the Pennsylvania National Guard, that establishes the voter as a current member or a veteran of the United States Armed Forces or National Guard and that does not designate a specific date on which the document expires, the document must include a notation indicating that the expiration is indefinite.

$13.50 fee for acquiring an Identification Card will be waived for individuals completing the Oath/ Affirmation Voter ID form. All identification documentation is still required to obtain an Identification Card as follows:

Step1
To obtain a Pennsylvania Photo Identification card, an individual needs to visit a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Driver License Center with a completed Application for an Initial Photo Identification Card; form DL-54A, and the following:

Social Security Card
AND
One of the following:

Certificate of U.S. Citizenship
Certificate of Naturalization
Valid U.S. Passport
*Birth Certificate with a raised seal

PLUS

Two proofs of **residency such as lease agreements, current utility bills, mortgage documents, W-2 form, tax records

*If they do not have a birth certificate with a raised seal and are a Pennsylvania native; and do not have one of the acceptable, alternative forms of photo identification to vote; and will provide a signed oath/affirmation form, when visiting the PennDOT driver license center, they must:

Tell the PennDOT customer service representative they are a Pennsylvania native who needs a photo ID for voting purposes, and do not have a certified copy of their birth certificate;
Sign an oath/affirmation that they do not have an acceptable form of ID for voting purposes and the photo ID is needed for voting purposes;
Show a Social Security card and two proofs of residence, such as a deed, lease, tax bill, or utility bill;
Fill out a DL-54A form requesting a non-driver photo ID and;
Complete the HD01564F (Request for Certification of Birth Record for Voter ID Purposes Only) form, which collects information such as birth name, mother and father's name and place of birth. This Department of Health form is available at all Driver Licensing Centers.

PennDOT will then forward the completed form to the Department of Health, which maintains birth records. After verifying the birth record is on file, the Department of Health will securely transmit this information to PennDOT. PennDOT will then notify them by letter that their birth record has been confirmed. They may then return to any driver license center, with the above noted documentation, to receive your free photo ID for voting purposes. This verification process will take up to ten days and does not require the payment of a fee.

**Students at least 18 years of age: Accepted proofs of residency include the room assignment paperwork (considered a lease) and one bill with their dorm room address on it. Bank statements, paystubs and credit card bills are all acceptable. Other Individuals who may not have any bills, leases or mortgage documents in their name may bring the person with whom they are living along with their Driver’s License or Photo ID to a driver license center as one proof of residence. Homeless individuals can use the address of a shelter as their residence provided they visit a Driver's License Center with an employee from the shelter that has an employee photo identification issued by the shelter and a letter on the shelter's letterhead indicating that the homeless individual stays at the shelter.

Step 2
When their application and supporting documentation have been reviewed and processed, a Driver License Center staff member will direct the applicant to the Photo Center to have their photo taken for their Photo ID card.

Step 3
Once their photo has been taken, they will be issued a Photo ID card.

End of instructions.........
 
Last edited:
/ mod hat on /

Follks, this is beginning to drift away from a "gentle" discussion about why the rally is held in different locations towards the more political end of things. As we all know, outright politics is not a discussion point on the forum.

Let's get back to the point of the original posts.

Thanks...

/ mod had off /
 
As a vender, a Canadian event would be a show stopper for me.

The thought of selling over 100 tents (meaning I'm providing camping services for over 150 people given the number of double tents) and finding that I can't cross the border due to some technicality would mean those folks would be left hanging and thus put an end to my business.
 
Maybe it's not possible to discuss a cross border event w/o talking politics? Isn't that what created the crap that makes it so difficult?Or can we just blame the drug biggies & terrorists?
I'm basically ignorant about border issues but why can't a pile of tents cross the border? Nobody ever quibbled about my one tent or several fishing rods or pile of fish or tackle box, & so on...
"They" did stop my vacationing secretary,her husband & 4 little boys once and after taking their van apart & ruining their day they were allowed to wish they had never crossed the border(and never! will again) in the 1st place. "They" also ruined my attempt to purchase a bike & bring it back a few years ago.
 
I'm basically ignorant about border issues but why can't a pile of tents cross the border? Nobody ever quibbled about my one tent or several fishing rods or pile of fish or tackle box, & so on....

I think a load of previously used tents and related gear would be searched piece by piece going both ways looking for drugs, guns and other contraband stuff. Can you imagine the hiding places there would be in a load of loose camping equipment? It's one thing for someone to have one tent but 100 tents and the related gear would be a very different matter.
 
Jim -
Please call the BMW MOA office and ask to speak to Ray Zimmerman, or the Board member from Quebec, Marc Soullierre. His contact number is in the front of every BMW Owners News. Marc or Ray will be able to give you many of the details about the issues we faced when we hosted the rally in Trenton. I had a wonderful time in Trenton, but honestly cannot see a way to ever do it again.

:cry

Even though the site was great, the entertainment was wonderful, and the community open and receptive... the overwhelming issues were costly and sometimes insurmountable.

If you think Canada needs an MOA event, have you considered trying to come up with a suggestion for a weekend getaway? Do you think there are 100 people who would want to attend a smaller event? Do you have an idea / suggestion?

Thanks for being a member!

Thanks Sue. It sounds like the board has already tackled the issue, so no point in me complicating matters. Its unfortunate, but that's just the way it is. Is Alaska also out given that you need to cross the border? I'm secretly hoping for a cold rally so people stop complaining about the hot ones.

Jim
 
I can come up with at least three anecdotes of problems crossing between the US and Canada. One was a group ride that was stopped by two of our riders not having proper documents (circa '70s), customs taking my Corvette apart on the return from taking a friend to catch a flight out of Winnipeg (less than a 24 hour stay and no luggage), and being pulled to the side for 'interrogation' when after not answering a question the way the officer expected (I was 'living on the road' with no fixed address at the time).

We can fill the thread with anecdotes or identify issues that a MOA International Rally or as a has been suggested MOA related event in Canada would need to overcome from an organizational point to make that happen.
 
As a vender, a Canadian event would be a show stopper for me.

The thought of selling over 100 tents (meaning I'm providing camping services for over 150 people given the number of double tents) and finding that I can't cross the border due to some technicality would mean those folks would be left hanging and thus put an end to my business.

I understand your concerns. What information / help would make you consider doing a International or alternative MOA event in Canada?
 
Show of hands please, how many complaining about the rally site and wanting an event in Canada actually showed up for this one? :violin

Not complaining about anything: this years site, the BoD, the rally schedule or anything else. Just talking about if and how an event could be held in Canada. This has been talked about numerous times on the forum. As far as I have seen this is the first time some members have been willing to form a group to look into options for a rally or other MOA event in Canada.
 
I understand your concerns. What information / help would make you consider doing a International or alternative MOA event in Canada?

Not sure what it would take to have 100% confidence that I wouldn't be turned away at the border.

From my perspective, I sell tent setup/rentals through my site in the U.S., but providing the service in Canada would complicate who I should pay taxes.

My trailer is quite large (44') and jammed packed when going to a rally like MOA. It could take them days to really search it end to end. Just seems like there's a myriad of issues that can crop up denying me access. I don't think there are any ITAR issues, but bringing significant amount of materials (tens of thousands of dollars worth of camping gear) each way across the border (even though I don't sell materials) is just going to raise issues each way.

My situation is much more sensitive than a regular vendor. People are counting on me to provide them with a tent, mattress, sleeping bag, etc. If I miss one event for any reason, my reputation would take a business ending blow. I'd be done with the Sherpa business overnight because people would be left stranded with no place/gear to sleep.

If I were merely planning to show to sell merchandise and got turned away, it would certainly hurt given the planning and expected revenues, but wouldn't be the end of my business.
 
.... to form a group to look into options for a rally or other MOA event in Canada.

When some travel, they like to experience the culture of the place they are travelling to. Wouldn't it be interesting for the Canadians to come up with a rally the way they rally? I would like to see Canadian vendors participate and then experience the way Canadians put on a rally.

I just returned from the Fingerlakes BMW club rally and the Canadian attendance was substantial. My estimate was more Canadians on the dance floor than Americans, those Canadians know how to party. That's great!

Too many times we Americans want to travel and have the same experience as we have at home. That isn't really experiencing anything new. Perhaps the sleeping bags in Canada zip from the top down or maybe their tents open from the left? Are there not vendors and camping outfits in Canada?

Just saying,
Rick
 
snip...
Too many times we Americans want to travel and have the same experience as we have at home. That isn't really experiencing anything new. Perhaps the sleeping bags in Canada zip from the top down or maybe their tents open from the left? Are there not vendors and camping outfits in Canada?

Just saying,
Rick
FWIW

Please be cautious when ascribing agendas and value judgments to people's posts. If it hasn't been clear in my previous posts
a. Yes I would like to go to a Canadian Rally
b. For that to happen it will have to be spearheaded by Canadians in terms of site selection and all the 'normal' rally site selection requirements.
c. The customs logistics issues would require help from everyone to come up with solutions to deal with the issues.
d. I believe there are Canadian vendors that can and would attend a Canadian rally that aren't crossing the border for many of the same reasons.
e. The MOA rally is an important part of the summer event sales for many of the small vendors. The impact on them in a given year and their long term impacts the MOA as well as the vendor in the long term.
f. Speaking only for myself I am not looking to impose or recreate an experience. A Canadian rally, even in the framework of an International MOA Rally would have its own flavor. Rather I am curious and trying to help flesh out issues that would need to be addressed and solutions found for if a group were to ever put a proposal to the BoD and site committee and have them seriously consider it.

I am not complaining about anyone. A Canadian rally may never happen again; however, this is becoming the most constructive discussion of what it might take to even think about doing it again.
 
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