‘I feel so relaxed’: Winnipegger will get dream car across border with help from broker

A Manitoba senior trying to buy his dream car in the U.S. has been left with a tariff nightmare. Danton Unger has his story.

A Winnipeg man who was slapped with a hefty bill to bring his dream car into Canada from the United States will soon bring the car home with the help of a Winnipeg customs brokerage firm.

Pat Fletcher, 77, bought a 1968 Dodge Charger RT in Texas on March 10 for US$98,000. When he tried to bring it across the border to Canada, border officials hit him with a massive bill for $46,636.49 in taxes and tariffs.

Now, Winnipeg-based Border Brokers reached out to Fletcher over the weekend after several people brought up the issue to them at the recent World of Wheels car show in Winnipeg. Sarah Abbott, director of operations, said they decided to look into his case.

“He has all the documents he needs now to pick up the vehicle and drive it across through the Canada Customs commercial lanes using a broker,” Abbott said.

She said an issue with an annex code for older cars was to blame. Her company has been in contact with Fletcher and created documents to allow him to bring the car across the border.

Fletcher said he has dealt with a whirlwind of emotions in recent days but is now excited that he’ll be able to have his dream car in his possession.

“I thought I was getting an ulcer over this,” he said. “My stomach was burning, I was downing Tums, and my daughter said, ‘It’s just your nerves; you need to settle down.’

“But now, I feel so relaxed.”

Fletcher is heading down to the border Tuesday to retrieve his vehicle.

CBSA would not comment on the outcome of Fletcher’s case, saying in an emailed statement, “An individual’s border and immigration information is considered private and protected by the Privacy Act. It is important to note that travellers present themselves to a border services officer with different goods being declared and we cannot speculate or comment on individual outcomes.”

-With files from CTV’s Danton Unger and Devon McKendrick