Also a Canadian and I get grilled more by Canadian border guards than American, though I think they are picking up on me because I traveled quite regularly when I was living in Canada.

They would ask me questions like "how long are you going to be in Canada?" when I'd answer that I didn't know, they would press me about why I didn't know. One guy who had held me up for far too long, I basically told him "I'm Canadian, you don't have an option to let me in or not" at that point, he let me through...

American here: I got grilled at the Canadian border because I'm an IT Worker. They were concerned over the period of a weekend I'd violate NAFTA. Coming back in the same car at the end of the weekend: I was grilled and isolated from my car about all that I did in Canada by the US side. [At that time they didn't understand what AirBnB was]

> "I'm Canadian, you don't have an option to let me in or not"

Be careful with that - while they have to let you in, your stuff is another matter.

Well, there are nicer ways to say it... but still. "I'm Canadian, I live here, I haven't decided yet."

I'm kind of surprised that this was even a question for a Canadian citizen.

As a fellow Canadian non-resident I get this all the time too. The reason is because if you are returning there are tax and duty implications - e.g. the car your probably driving needs to be imported. When I moved back a few years ago (only to leave again) I had to have a slew of returning resident paperwork so my stuff could come duty free.

Same here, Canadian citizen as well. I've been absolutely grilled by the Canadians, but never by the US side.

American and Canadians grill me more. What is my wife's birthday? How many days are we staying? What day of the week are we leaving?

American guard is like "do you have more than 5 bottles of wine you need to declare? No, cool"

I've never been grilled by either. But the Americans always ask mor questions. Canadians are "welcome home", Americans usually ask a few standard questions to probe my reasons but nothing approaching a grilling. Just a light toasting.

Contrast with Russian customs who looked at my passport and said "Canada? Okay go"

I've found it varies dramatically by crossing point. As an American driving across the border I frequently get lots of questions on either side. Flying it has been full grilling to basically nothing on either side.

Flying into Toronto City airport I frequently just get a nod and hand wave.