A large sign warning migrants not to cross into Canada illegally has been posted in front of a U.S. bed and breakfast that once housed those same border crossers.
The sign is one of 16 bail conditions set for Robert Boulé, who owns the Smuggler’s Inn on the U.S. state side of Zero Avenue in Blaine, Wash.
Boulé is facing 21 charges under the Immigration Act for allegedly helping at least seven people enter Canada between May 2018 and March 2019. The charges were laid earlier this month.
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The sign in front of his property now reads, “Warning: It is illegal to enter Canada directly from Smugglers’ Inn Property.”
It also says the owner of the property is “bound by a court order” to report the identity of anyone trying to enter Canada to authorities.
The bed and breakfast sits directly across from Surrey, B.C. on Zero Avenue, which separates the two countries. There is no fence or physical barrier between his property and the Canadian side.
Boulé’s bail conditions said the sign must be roughly one to two-and-a-half metres in size and placed within three metres of the border.
He must also cancel all of his telephone numbers and personal email address, to be replaced with new numbers and email limited for business use. The court has additionally ordered that he give the passwords and all relevant communication records to his bail supervisor.
Some of the conditions must be met to allow Boulé to be released from custody, including posting the sign.
As of Sunday, Boulé was still sitting in custody in Surrey.
— With files from Simon Little and Aaron McArthur
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