Resort owner left reeling after camera-laden Americans refused entry

Jeff Green | Jun 23, 2011

Kevin Philips of the Fernleigh Lodge on Road 506 in North Frontenac thought he had found a pretty good promotional opportunity to help promote his resort to US small-mouth bass fishing enthusiasts.

Todd Locker, who supplies fishing supplies that are sold at the lodge through a large retail company called Sportsmen's Liquidation, is also producing an outdoors adventure series. With a crew putting together a hunting feature in the Province of Quebec, Locker thought he would support it with a second feature on fishing in Ontario. He booked some rooms and meals at the Fernleigh Lodge and was bringing another crew and some well connected fishing enthusiasts across the border at the Thousand Islands bridge when he ran into some trouble.

“We were travelling in two vehicles, each pulling bass boats, when we came to the border. They asked us how long we were staying and what our plans were. We said we were going to a fishing lodge and we were going to do some filming for a TV show. We might as well have said we've got bombs. We were held for well over 2 hours, then turned back to the US,” said Todd Locker in a telephone interview from his home in Pennsylvania. “They said something about taking jobs from Canadians.”

Locker has trouble understanding how this had happened when he has filmed in Canada before with no border problems. “In fact, our crews had come over at Niagara Falls and were in Quebec shooting at the same time as we were being sent back home,” he said. “We are hoping to sell this show to the History channel. You would think the Canadians would want to promote what they have to American sportsmen.” That's what Kevin Phillips thinks as well.

He has contacted MP Scott Reid's office to see how this sort of thing can be avoided. Meanwhile he is one angry resort owner. “I'm out $15,000 and the kind of promotion to the American market that I normally could only dream about. I wonder if the government really wants tourism to succeed,” he said.

Fernleigh Lodge, which is over 90 years old, was a magnet for US tourists throughout the 20th Century, but with gas prices, the high Canadian dollar, and a recession, it has been difficult to attract Americans to Frontenac County in recent years.

According to Todd Locker, there is an opportunity for places like Fernleigh Lodge that are only a few hours drive across the border for millions of Americans.

“A lot of people who might have considered flying in to Northern Ontario or Quebec in other times are now attracted to a place they can drive to and still find excellent fishing for a much lower price, such as Fernleigh Lodge. I've fished that lake. There are lots of smalleys [small-mouth bass] in it. But now I don't know what I'll do about filming in Canada.”

“We need to do something here,” said Kevin Phillips. “I'm hoping Scott Reid's office can do something or we will start looking at publicizing what is going on. These rules are hurting Canadian jobs, not protecting them. How am I supposed to pay my employees if my clients and my opportunities are being turned away at the border?”