TORONTO —
Long lines of vehicles and hours of delays hit Canada’s borders on Friday as nearly 9,000 Canadian Border Service Agency workers began a labour action across the country, and the situation could get worse as the country prepares to open the border to fully-vaccinated U.S. travellers.
The work-to-rule action began early on Friday after Public Service Alliance of Canada and its Customs and Immigration Union, which represents the workers, confirmed they had not come to an agreement with the government on a new contract.
“Our bargaining team representing CBSA employees has been in mediation with CBSA and Treasury all night and through to this morning, and we’re giving them a bit more time to negotiate at the table,” the union said in an emailed statement. “In the meantime, work-to-rule actions are underway at border crossings and airports across the country.”
As the vast majority of border workers are considered essential workers, the union has said the job action will not be a full-on strike, but a work-to-rule activity at the country’s airports, land borders, commercial shipping ports and postal facilities.
By mid-morning, there was a long line of vehicles at the Blue Water bridge crossing between Sarnia, Ont. and Port Huron, Mich., said truck owner-operator Rick Jaatinen.
“I’ve been four hours trying to get through the border,” Jaatinen told CTVNews.ca in an interview, comparing it to a crossing that would normally take much less than one hour.
In the midst of a journey from Chicago to Stittsville, Ont., Jaatinen said he was worried about the impact a lengthy work action could have on his livelihood.
“This is impacting my wages, and my logbook and everything. We only have a certain amount of hours we can operate in a day,” he said.
The union has been without a contract for three years, and says a new agreement should include salary parity with other law enforcement workers and better protections against harassment, among other demands.
Treasury Board spokesperson Geneviève Sicard said in an email on Friday that mediation had been ongoing through the night and was continuing.
“The government is still at the table and will not walk away,” she said.
A prolonged job action has the potential to see worse delays, as Canada plans to open the border to fully-vaccinated U.S. travellers on Monday, which has the potential to unleash pent-up traffic from U.S. citizens and residents who have been unable to visit Canada since early 2020.
According to the union’s website, during a work-to-rule strike action CSBA employees “will obey all of the policies, procedures and laws applying to their work, and perform their duties to ’the letter of the law’. This may cause long and unavoidable delays at Canada’s borders as workers carry out their jobs as they were trained to do.”
Following the announcement, Toronto’s Pearson International Airport said in a Tweet that airport operations could be impacted on Friday due to a peaceful labour demonstration by CSBA workers.
“If you are departing from Pearson today, please consider leaving early to account for potential delays,” it said.
Our FB bargaining team has been at the table all night, and we’re giving them a bit more time to negotiate.
In the meantime, work-to-rule actions have started across the country. We’ll provide an update as soon as possible. #cdnpoli
Airport operations may be impacted today as a result of a peaceful labour demonstration by CBSA workers represented by @psac_afpc. If you are departing from Pearson today, please consider leaving early to account for potential delays.
VANCOUVER – Prince Harry is in Vancouver for the launch of a campaign to raise awareness of the Invictus Games among children and youth, one day after surprising Canadian football fans by appearing at the Grey Cup in the city.
The prince visited Vancouver-area elementary and high school students at Seaforth Armoury.
The visit comes as the Invictus Games launches a lessons program for students from kindergarten to Grade 12, making educational resources on the event’s history and purpose available online.
Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games for wounded, injured and sick veterans and other service personnel about a decade ago, and the games will next be held in Vancouver and Whistler in February.
After meeting the students and engaging in a short game of sitting volleyball on the floor of the armoury, Prince Harry told the crowd the school program could help the Invictus Games “go even wider” and “into schools in Canada and hopefully around the world.”
The prince made a surprise appearance at the Grey Cup game at BC Place Stadium on Sunday, waving to the crowd and giving an interview before joining B.C. Lions owner Amar Doman on the field.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Environment Canada is warning about an intensifying storm that is expected to bring powerful winds to Vancouver Island and the British Columbia coast this week.
Matt MacDonald, the lead forecaster for the BC Wildfire Service, says models predict “explosive cyclogenesis,” which is also known as a bomb cyclone, materializing Tuesday night.
Such storms are caused by a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure at the centre of a storm system that results in heavy rain and high winds.
MacDonald says in a social media post that B.C. coastal inlets could see “hurricane force” winds of more than 118 km/h and create waves up to nine metres off Washington and Oregon.
Environment Canada posted a special weather statement saying the storm will develop off the coast of Vancouver Island on Tuesday, bringing high winds and heavy rain to some areas starting in the afternoon.
It says the weather system may cause downed trees, travel delays and power outages, adding that peak winds are expected for most areas Tuesday night, though the severe weather is likely to continue into Wednesday.
B.C. has been hit by a series of powerful fall storms, including an atmospheric river that caused flash flooding in Metro Vancouver in mid-October.
A lightning storm overnight and early Monday covered parts of Metro Vancouver in hail.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2024.
This will allow CBP to enhance border security while facilitating legitimate cross-border trade and travel. CBP officers will be deployed to busier ports of entry, enabling the agency to use its resources most effectively for its critical national security and border security missions.
These adjustments formalize current operating hours that have been in effect for more than four years at 13 ports of entry across the northern border, with eight ports of entry expanding hours. A small number of ports will see reduced hours in an effort to continually align resources to operational realities. Travelers who use these affected crossing locations will have other options within a reasonable driving distance.
Importantly, these adjustments have been made in close coordination with CBSA, to ensure aligned operational hours that further enhance the security of both countries.
CBP continually monitors operations, traffic patterns and volume, and analyzes the best use of resources to better serve the traveling public. CBP will remain engaged with local and regional stakeholders, as well as communities to ensure consistent communication and to address concerns.
The vast majority of the 118 northern border ports of entry will continue to operate at existing hours, including many with 24/7 operations. Locate ports of entry and access border wait times here.
The following are the new permanent POE hours of operation for select New York POEs:
Chateauguay, NY new hours of operation – 6 am to 6 pm
Trout River, NY new hours of operation – 6 am to 6 pm
Rouses Point, NY new hours of operation – 8 am to 8 pm
Overton Corners, NY new hours of operation – 6 am to 10 pm
Again, these changes will go into effect beginning at midnight, January 6, 2025.
Below is a listing of each location with the closest border crossing that will remain open 24/7 for appropriate commercial and passenger traffic:
Chateauguay, NY – closest 24/7 port: Fort Covington – 27 miles
Trout River, NY – closest 24/7 port: Fort Covington – 11 miles
Rouses Point, NY – closest 24/7 port: Champlain – 8 miles
Overton Corners, NY – closest 24/7 port: Champlain – 5 miles
For additional information or to contact a port of entry, please visit CBP.gov.
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @CBPBuffalo and @DFOBuffalo
For more on Customs and Border Protection’s mission at our nation’s ports of entry with CBP officers and along U.S. borders with Border Patrol agents, please visit the Border Security section of the CBP website.
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @CBPBuffalo @DFOBuffalo and @USBPChiefBUN
