A man who travels from the United States to Gravenhurst to care for his 95-year-old father is being told he won’t be able to return to Canada without special permission.
Ray Napolitano is selling his businesses in California to spend winters taking care of dad in the Muskoka town.
“I always told him toward the end of life, when you're reaching the final years, I'm not going to let you be alone.”
His father, Michael Napolitano, is a Second World War veteran. He's sharp as a tack and despite being wheelchair bound these days, he spends his spare time writing and reading medical research papers.
When his heart and hip started giving out his son stepped up.
“I had a social life. We could visit people, places, he could take me to my doctors, he could do all my shopping, do all these together,” he says.
During his last border crossing, Napolitano was flagged for having spent too much time in Canada. The limit is a total of six months a year.
Under the law, the Canadian Border Services Agency can restrict anyone from coming in if they're deemed undesirable.
Napolitano had a DUI in the U.S. in 2010, which was never an issue until now. He was told he has to leave Canada by July 4 and get special permission to come back in.
“Several factors are used in determining admissibility into Canada, including involvement in criminal activity, in human rights violations, in organized crime, security, health or financial reasons,” a CBSA spokesperson told CTV News. “Foreign nationals can stay in Canada for six months in a year. However an officer may authorize more or less time depending on circumstances and their admissibility.”
This of course means his father will be left alone in Gravenhurst.
“All of that will be taken away and now they’re throwing him right back and saying, ‘Oh well. Thanks for that. Now get out,” says Michael.
The father and son are hoping for some compassion and a special exemption from the border services agency to allow for Napolitano to take care of his dad.
They just don't know if and when that day will come.
