QUOTED: a Toronto woman explains the surprising reason border officials denied her entry to the U.S.

“I was turned away, I was told, because I had a hospitalization in the summer of 2012 for clinical depression.”

—Toronto resident Ellen Richardson, who wants to know how U.S. border agents at Pearson Airport gained access to her confidential medical records. (MP Mike Sullivan and Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian are both looking into the matter.) Richardson was ready to fly to New York City to catch a $6,000 Caribbean cruise when a border guard denied her entry to the U.S. The guard claimed that Richardson’s medical condition made her a potential threat to herself and others. Richardson gave the agent the name and phone number of her psychiatrist, but was told she had to be examined by one of three Toronto doctors approved by the Department of Homeland Security and pay a $500 fee before she could enter the country. Needless to say, she missed her cruise. [Toronto Star]