November was a busy month for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). With that said, the law enforcement agency never lost sight of what's important: keeping our Canadian borders safe. 

To start, the North Portal Border alone saw 19,000 travellers, compared to 18,000 last year. Out of that bunch, thirty nine were refused entry for various reasons. 

One of the main highlights of the month is a milestone that the CBSA reached. 

"At the North Portal Border Crossing on November 13th, our officers seized a .45 calibre pistol, which was our ninth undeclared handgun of the year. The weapon was found while searching a commecrical vehicle. CBSA charge are pending and the 44-year-old Alabama man is scheduled to appear in the Estevan Provincial Court on January 9th, 2017," shared Communications Officer Luke Reimer. 

Guns, ammunition and other weapons are a common sight in the two border crossing close to Estevan. One of the prohibted items not commonly seen are live animals, which was found at North Portal

"On November 17, we were examining a trailer that was bound to Alaska transiting through Canada. Upon inspection, officers found a number of live animals, which included forty cats, three birds and one goat. Many of them lacked proper import documentation or vaccination certificate."

The female United States resident was not allowed to pass. He added that this is just an example of "you never know what you're going to find". 

People are becoming more clever when it comes to hiding other prohibited weapons. On November 4, Manitoba man failed to declare a butterfly knife inside a pair of pants in the sleeper are of the commercial vehicle. He was detained and paid a $500 fine following his release. On November 25, officers uncovered a pair of brass knuckles and a switchblade in the cab of a commercial truck. Both prohibited items were seized, and the male driver, of Kentucky, returned to the United States. 

With the holiday season looming close, Reimer concluded with a tip for those picking up packages in the United States.

"CBSA would like to remind travellers with parcels from the United States that they make sure they know what is in them. As well, make sure you have your receipts ready and declare the full value. An officer may need to open them to verify your declaration."

"If you're coming back with presents for the holiday season, we would like to ask you to please have those unwrapped so that we can take a look if we need to."