No. H 062/08
For release - February 29, 2008
OTTAWA — The Government of Canada will commit $10 million to expand the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) facilities at the Lacolle-Champlain border crossing, one of the ten busiest Canada-United States border crossings. The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, made the announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.
Funded through the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund, the project consists primarily of the expansion of commercial and bus processing facilities. The project is designed to improve border infrastructure along the Canadian side of the corridor, enhance safety, and relieve traffic congestion.
"This government is committed to maintaining a smart and secure border, and that starts with the proper facilities," said Minister Day. "This funding will go towards enhancing the capacity of one of Canada's most important land border crossings and recognizes the critical importance of the border in ensuring Canada's security and its economic prosperity."
"The Government of Canada's funding for this initiative will help to maintain the competitive position of the Lacolle crossing, a key trade corridor to the United States," said Minister Cannon. "Improvements to the existing commercial and bus processing facilities will also complement the capacity improvements resulting from significant infrastructure investments on the U.S. side of the border crossing."
"Our members always welcome such infrastructure improvements. This particular investment will provide Border Services Officers with a state of the art facility at Quebec's busiest border crossing," said Jean-Pierre Fortin, Customs Excise Union's 1st National Vice-President. "This will improve the flow of legitimate commercial and traveller volumes, thus providing officers with a safer work environment, allowing them to direct more attention on high-risk individuals and goods."
Lacolle is the sixth-busiest Canada-U.S. commercial border crossing. In 2006, Lacolle accounted for approximately 735,000 commercial vehicle crossings (398,000 to the U.S. and 337,000 to Canada), and approximately 2,000 commercial vehicles per day.
Guided by the National Policy Framework for Strategic Gateways and Trade Corridors, investments under the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund are designed to improve the flow of goods between Canada and the rest of the world. This merit-based fund will enhance infrastructure at key locations, such as major border crossings between Canada and the United States.
This $2.1-billion fund will focus on strategic trade corridors and international gateways. Eligible projects will include the core National Highway System, border facilities impacted by increased trade flows, intermodal connectors and facilities, international bridges and tunnels, rail/road grade separations, short-line rail, short-sea shipping and intelligent transportation systems.
This week's Budget announcement injected $174 million over two years to make the border smarter and more secure. This includes $75 million for CBSA operations and $14 million to expand the NEXUS program.
As well, the Government of Canada introduced amendments to the Customs Act that will give the CBSA the tools and flexibility they need to assess risk at the border.
The amendments will make it mandatory for all businesses involved in the import trade chain to provide the CBSA with electronic data on their shipments before the goods reach Canada. With this advance information, the CBSA will be able to make better decisions about the admissibility of the goods, including whether the goods pose a risk to Canadians.
Other amendments will enable the CBSA to fully implement customs-controlled areas, which will provide border services officers with the flexibility to examine goods, and question and search people anywhere within those areas, as opposed to only at exit points as in the current Act.
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