I am going moose hunting in Quebec in October. My partner (a Canadian citizen living in the US) wants me to take his boat up there with me and leave it at camp.

My question is, if I bring the boat into Canada, will there be any kind of duty or other problem if I exit without it? Sorry if this is a dumb question. Thanks for your help.

You are absolutely correct to be concerned. If you exit without it (and that "enter-with/exit without" is documented), you will be in trouble.
As a Canadian (now living in the far-more-hospitable USA), my several-decade experience with Canada Customs (while a resident of Canada, or later- of the US) has been severely unpleasant. You will likely incur some extremely costly fines. Ordinarily, when you return to USA, you needn't stop at the Canada check-points. If Canada Customs made no record of the boat when you entered Canada, ...no problem. But, if there IS a record, and you fail to prove you returned to US WITH the boat....they're gonna getcha!! And "they" are a some collection of intellects!! I will never forgive them (Canada Customs) for strip-searching and abusing my late father when he was an old man suffering a debilitating illness.
Good luck!

Thanks Conifer, I will take your advice.

I cross at Sault Ste. Marie, not a happy looking bunch of people at Canada Customs, I certainly don't want any negative involvement with them. -Fred

Let me extend some northern hospitality to you

I am working in Quebec and would be happy to meet you in Montreal for dinner or a drink if you pass through on your way north.

BTW, what outfitter are you going to use or are you going at it solo? vJust curious and you can P.M. me if you prefer.

We do have some great moose hunting- directly proportional to the amount of time you spend doing your homework.

Cheers,
CL

BTW, My experience with Canada Customs has been the opposite. They have been super friendly with me. The only arrogant and control-types that I seem to encounter are from the Department of Homeland Security at the U.S. border- 1. There are too many of them for too little work at my border crossing 2. Some seem to try to use their free time to give you a hard time.

Thanks CL for the kind offer. Won't be near Montreal this trip, we hunt north of Rapides-des-Joachims. I hunt with my Canadian-citizen US-resident friend, and his father who lives in La Minerve. They have a shack back in the bush 65 clicks north of Swisha. This will be my fourth no-moose year at that location. They logged the area two years ago after 30 years of no logging, hopefully the moose will have come back.

Any information you can share on Quebec moose is greatly appreciated. Thanks for the invite. -Fred

You are often asked if you plan to leave anything in Canada. I have left boats, both cartop and trailer, trucks etc.

I have a friend who hauled up a U Haul full of personnal property, furniture, shop tools etc. He was prepared to pay a couple of thousand in duty but was not asked. I guess that Customs thought he alway towed a U Haul around with him.

I think it has a lot to do with whether or not the Customs Officer got layed before reporting to work.

First, if the boat was made in the US, then there is no duty, just a 7% "value added tax" (I am not sure if the customs people will insist on collecting provincial sales tax as well - cross in Alberta to avoid that.)

How will the boat come in? If it is on a trailer and the trailer is left in Canada that might be a bigger problem. If one registers the trailer later in Canada one has to have it inspected by some federal vehicle importing department. (It is pretty bad in the US too if you purchase a trailer in one state then move to another and try to change the registration.)

Man oh man...
Well I'm new to this board and I guess I jump right and and make a point of answering a question the right way....
When you are questioned at Customs, you will be asked if you have anything you plan on leaving, selling, or giving away. If you answer yes to this question, you will pay the GST (if Americna made) on the boat if it is staying in Canada...plain and simple...
If you answer 'no' and the officer decides to search you or interview you, and determines that you plan on bringing the boat in and leaving it, the boat will be seized and you will pay a fine to have it returned...
Answer truthfully and things are never an issue. Its much easier to pay a mere 7% GST and get it done with. As for the trailer, you will need to pay GST and do a formal 'RIV' Transport Canada import as well on it so it can be plated.
Great to see theres a bunch of Customs-Loving people around here...haha. Conifer, as for strip searches, they are only done when reasonable grounds exist for a search. As for 'abuse', I'm not sure how Customs would get away with 'abusing' your late-father....
Hope this answers some questions...looks like a great board....

Just got back from a trip to Canadian Rockies, and when I stopped at Customs on the way out to get receipts stamped for GST refund, they were giving a guy at the next station the 3rd degree about a US-purchased boat he was taking into Canada. Only problem, he had not been truthful about the purchase in some way or another. I overheard the customs agent tell him, "You had three chances to come clean, and now it is too late. It would have been far less expensive had you given full disclosure to the first officer."(or words to that effect). Not sure what it was all about, but I could see extreme dismay on the guy's face.

Thanks all for the information.

The boat was on my truck, no trailer. I left it up there at camp, drove back, no problem. Probably a non-issue, but it's better to be safe than sorry, and this forum is a great place to pose a question.

No moose this year. The guys in the next camp over took two bulls opening day. Next year....

Fred....
Congrats on your first smuggling trip into Canada.....whether you see it as a non-issue or not, its still smuggling when you do not report goods that will be left in Canada......just be careful if you're gonna play the game that way....