Ottawa released a $1.3-billion border plan, and CTA pushed for road enforcement

In December 2024, the federal government released Canada's Border Plan, a $1.3-billion package built around five pillars: fighting the fentanyl trade, new law enforcement tools, better coordination, more information sharing and reducing unnecessary border volumes. It was announced by Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Immigration Minister Marc Miller and Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya'ara Saks.

Main measures

• New canine teams for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which already had more than 80, plus chemical detection tools at high-risk ports of entry and artificial intelligence and imaging tools to find illegal drugs.
• A new RCMP Aerial Intelligence Task Force using helicopters, drones and mobile surveillance towers to watch the border between ports of entry around the clock.
• Three regional enforcement hubs with the provinces, and a proposed North American Joint Strike Force with the U.S. to target organized crime.
• Changes to end "flagpoling," where temporary residents leave and immediately re-enter Canada to get immigration services at the border.

What it means for carriers

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) noted proposed Customs Act amendments that would require carriers and sufferance warehouse operators to give CBSA officers access to examine goods bound for export, and to provide suitable facilities for those inspections.

Geoff Wood, CTA's senior vice-president of policy, said the alliance would keep working with governments and enforcement agencies to secure the trucking supply chain. He called the plan an opportunity to deal with several overdue issues. CTA had urged Ottawa and the premiers to secure the border and prepare for tariffs, including more on-road inspection and enforcement of immigration, labour and illegal-cargo violations before trucks reach the border, similar to Alberta's approach.