The Government of Canada is committed to investing $440 million for infrastructure improvements to port of entry (POE) facilities across the country. With this funding, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) can replace up to 77 POEs, most of which were constructed more than 30 years ago.
The Agency has been moving towards a standard design for the replacement of POEs over the last several years. A standard design makes it easier to estimate replacement costs and can be adapted to local conditions such as site services and the varying geography which exists across Canada. A standard design also helps create a national identity and provides a firm footing for future planning.
The replacement approach is to use modular design and a prefabricated build to replace current aging Micro (1500 square feet), Small (3300 square feet), Medium (6500 square feet) and Large facilities (10,000 square feet), so that all of the work is completed by 2020. Standard templates for the replacement of any POE are already in operation with Micro POEs in Saskatchewan, Small POEs in Manitoba, Medium POEs in Ontario and Large POEs in New Brunswick.