The Salaberry-Suroît MP and public safety critic, Claude DeBellefeuille, and Saint-Jean MP Christine Normandin are stepping up their pressure on Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Minister David McGuinty over reduced hours of operation at area ports of entry.
The hours at the Herdman (Chateaugay), Trout River (Trout River), Lacolle Route 221 (Overton), and Lacolle Route 223 (Rouses Point) border crossings between Canada and New York State were reduced by half as of January 6. Faced with this continued reduction in hours, which see the crossing points close overnight, the MPs have reached out to their American counterparts for support.
An official letter was sent to U.S. elected officials who share a border with the two MPs’ constituencies. DeBellefeuille and Normandin emphasized the need for continuous operational border control, especially in the current geopolitical context.
The aim of the joint initiative is to ensure the American authorities are aware of the risks associated with the security and fluidity of cross-border trade. “Our American counterparts are well aware of the consequences of a less secure border,” said DeBellefeuille in a joint statement issued by the deputies.
She highlighted the importance of working together to press McGuinty to reverse the Canadian Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) decision.
“Reducing opening hours not only weakens border security; it also harms our regional economies, which are heavily dependent on cross-border trade,” added Normandin.
When asked, a representative from DeBellefeuille’s office noted that despite an initial response from the CBSA to the MPs requests for a revision, the deputy has not received anything further from the public safety minister.
U.S. elected officials spoke out in November, when the joint decision by the CBSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was first announced. New York State Senator Dan Stec blasted the decision, insisting “You can’t have a part-time border.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has also publicly stated her opposition to the reduction in hours, as has New York State Assemblyman Billy Jones.
DeBellefeuille and Normandin said they hope the letter will result in elected officials on both sides of the border speaking with one voice, with the end goal of prompting the federal governments to reconsider their decision.
Reduced service hours at the Herdman, Trout River, and Lacolle Route 223 ports of entry went into effect on January 6.
The hours of service at the Herdman crossing, which connects the municipality of Hinchinbrooke to Chateaugay, New York, as well as the Trout River crossing that links Elgin with Constable, New York, have now been reduced by half: from 24 hours to 12, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The hours at the Lacolle Route 223 border crossing at Rouses Point in New York have also been reduced from 24 hours to 12: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The joint decision to scale back the operating hours was announced in November by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as part of a collaborative effort to coordinate the service hours at connecting ports of entry.
Despite an outcry from residents and local politicians on both sides of the border, as well as a concerted effort by Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille, the CBSA is intent on permanently maintaining the new hours.
In December, DeBellefeuille addressed a formal letter to Dominic Leblanc, then the minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Government Affairs, in which she asked for the CBSA’s decision to be reassessed while suggesting that a closing time of 10 p.m. would be more appropriate.
A formal response was received on January 2 from Andrew Lawrence, the director general of the CBSA’s Travellers’ Operational Guidance and Support Branch, on behalf of David McGuinty, the current minister of Public Safety.
Lawrence states that as a result of these changes, “Canada and the U.S. are able to resolve problems related to incompatible hours of operation at ports of entry.” These issues can include security risks posed by open barriers at ports of entry, coordination difficulties between the CBSA and CBP in the event of incidents, and delays in the removal of inadmissible travellers and goods to the other country.
Lawrence also refers to a study of operational pressures, peak periods, and related service requirements, which indicated that most of the affected entry points cleared – on average – no more than two cars or commercial vehicles per hour during the period in which they are now closed.
DeBellefeuille confirms that the Bloc Québécois requested a breakdown, by hour, of the number of crossings at both the Herdman and Trout River ports of entry from the CBSA; it showed numbers that were above the two vehicle-per-hour average.
The deputy says that since November, her team has received over 50 testimonials from local residents detailing how this decision will impact their daily lives. She has spoken out against the CBSA decision in the House of Commons and through the media, and shares that at least two municipalities, Elgin and the town of Huntingdon, have adopted resolutions similarly denouncing the reduction in operating hours.
DeBellefeuille says that despite her interventions, as well as the testimonials from locals and accurate traffic data, the CBSA has maintained its decision.
“Unfortunately, the response we received leaves no room for questioning this decision,” says DeBellefeuille. “Clearly, despite our best efforts, we have not succeeded in convincing the competent authorities.”
Travellers who frequently use the Trout River or Herdman border crossings to enter the United States are in for a shock.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced on Monday that it would be adjusting the service hours at 35 land ports of entry across the country as of January 6, 2025. This is being done in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which is adjusting its service hours at 38 ports of entry.
In the Haut-Saint-Laurent, the hours of service at the Trout River crossing, which connects the municipality of Elgin to Constable, New York, will permanently be reduced by half – from the current 24 hours to 12, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. The Herdman crossing, which links the municipality of Hinchinbrooke with Chateauguay, New York, will also be limited to between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The Lacolle Route 223 border crossing at Rouses Point in New York will similarly see its hours reduced, from 24 hours to 12: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Trout River border crossing in Elgin is one of three area crossings that will see its operating hours reduced by half, following a collaborative agreement between the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The reduced hours at the Trout River, Herdman, and Lacolle Route 223 (Rouses Point) ports of entry will start on January 6, 2025. (PHOTO Sarah Rennie)
In a statement, the CBSA said the changes will enhance overall security for both countries. “It will allow the CBSA to use its resources more efficiently by deploying officers at busier ports of entry. This will support the CBSA’s ability to process travellers and goods as well as to manage enforcement activities.”
The service hours at the three connecting U.S. ports of entry will now align with the Canadian hours of operation. The CBSA said this “will allow both countries to return inadmissible travellers and goods to the other country, which is more difficult when one side of the border is closed while the other remains open.”
The CBSA maintains the change is based on an “analysis of operational pressures, peak periods, and services required at the ports of entry, to minimize the impacts on border communities.”
According to the CBSA, the ports of entry process an average of two or less vehicles or commercial trucks per hour during the period they will no longer be in operation. The CBSA notes that alternative border crossing options exist within a 100-kilometre radius, notably at the Dundee-Fort Covington and the Hemmingford-Mooers ports of entry.
‘A misguided decision’
The Customs and Immigration Union (CIU), which represents CBSA officers and personnel, is demanding the agency reverse its decision. Union president Mark Weber referred to the move as an “incredibly misguided decision.” In a statement, the CIU said the decision was made without consulting frontline officers working at the affected ports, or the border communities in which the crossings are located.
A CBSA employee, who spoke with The Gleaner on condition of anonymity, confirmed that employees at the affected border crossings were given no advance warning of the reduction in hours. They said that officers were told they would not lose their jobs, but that some would be relocated to larger ports. “Our personal and family lives will be sacrificed because of this,” they added, noting the long commute that may be imposed on border service agency officers.
“Most locals think this is temporary, but it’s not. It’s permanent,” they pointed out, noting that while the custom offices will be closed at 6 p.m., travellers should not expect to cross up to the last minute. “It will be more like 5:30 or 5:45 p.m.”
The officer is concerned that security along the border will be impacted as well. “We are actually stopping people from coming in, criminals, drugs, and guns,” they said, while questioning how leaving a nearly 80-kilometre stretch of the border less secure overnight improves security.
Impact on families and the economy
Elgin director general Guylaine Carrière said the CBSA contacted her about the reduced hours. She says members of the council expressed their disappointment with the decision when she relayed the news, noting it will be a discussed during the regular meeting in December.
“I find it very, very early,” said Carrière of the 6 p.m. closing. “It will have a major impact on a lot of the families here in Elgin,” she added, while suggesting there will no doubt be consequences for the local economy as well. She was also taken aback by how soon the changes will come into force, noting the timeframe does not give people and businesses much time to adapt.
Carrière said she spoke with the CBSA about the fire-rescue mutual aid agreements that exist on both sides of the border, and was told a procedure would be put in place to allow first responders to cross at all hours in the event of an emergency. She admitted that while this is positive news, there were delays in response times when the border was closed during the pandemic.
The reduced hours are problematic for those who live on one side of the border but who work on the other, or who cross regularly for work. For Rick and Kenny Van Winden, who own land and farm in Chateauguay and Burke, New York, the new hours will be particularly challenging.
“They have been combining there for the last couple of weeks, and they are not home until 11 or 12 at night,” said Natalie Wattie, who is married to Kenny. “It is going to cause some problems, because while some springs and falls are ok, some are not. If you are planting and missing that window because you can’t cross, then you can’t get your crops in on time,” she explained.
“There is never a time when they are done at 5:30 p.m.,” Wattie added, noting the detour to Hemmingford or Dundee on a tractor would be “insane.”
Politicians express concern
New York State senator Dan Stec issued a statement on November 21 blasting the decision. “You can’t have a part-time border!” he exclaimed; while highlighting the disruption this will cause to the unique relationship that exists between communities, referring specifically to the mutual-aid pacts in place. The senator also pointed to the “turmoil” created in the region by irregular immigration, to suggest the move will impact the safety of those living along the border.
New York governor Kathy Hochul has publicly stated her opposition to reducing operating hours at the border, calling on the CBP to reverse its decision.
On the Canadian side, Salaberry-Suroît MP Claude DeBellefeuille has also come out against the CBSA’s decision. “I cannot support a reduction in service that will have an impact not only on citizens, but also on businesses in our region,” she said, while decrying the lengthy detours this will entail. “I am already getting calls from businesses expressing their dissatisfaction,” she added.
“We know that there are major issues at the border,” said DeBellefeuille. “It strikes me as an odd time for the Border Services Agency to cut their services.”
The MP is now asking citizens and businesses who are affected by this announcement to contact her team so they can document the impact of the CBSA’s decision in the region.
Those interested in sharing their story can contact DeBellefeuille’s office by email at: claude.debellefeuille@parl.gc.ca.
