OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 16, 2011) - Pierre Sabourin, CBSA Vice-President of Operations today provided the following statement regarding border services in the province of Quebec.
"As part of its Strategic Review, the CBSA will be making some changes to its border operations across Canada to ensure maximum efficiency and cost effectiveness. In the province of Quebec, there are nine points of service that will undergo operational changes. These include two port closures, three locations with reduced hours, and four locations where in-land services will be transferred to a nearby CBSA office.
It's important to put these changes into perspective. As seen in the attached fact sheet, the two ports slated to be closed see a combined average of less than 70 travellers per day. Furthermore there are other ports of entry as close as 10 km away. The three ports which will see a reduction of hours means that they will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. The transfers of service outlined simply means that travellers and businesses will receive the same level of service but from a different location.
In addition there will be no job losses as a result of these changes of service and the security of the border remains intact. The CBSA remains committed to ensuring that travelers and local residents are informed of the changes and we will continue to work with communities and local stakeholders to minimize any inconvenience caused by these changes."
Fact Sheet
Alternate Service Delivery
Description of the reallocation
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) provides service at over 1,200 locations across Canada. The CBSA routinely conducts reviews to ensure that each service location operates at maximum efficiency, which includes the ability to provide service that not only delivers value for money but is also sufficient to respond to identified risks and threats at that location.
This time, in the context of the Strategic Review exercise, the Agency's assessment included reviews of smaller ports to seek efficiencies in terms of resource allocations.
The following table identifies the 16 points of service that are affected by this review.
The security risks and threats associated with these ports of entry and service points are considered low; the volume of traffic is minimal; there are reasonable alternate service points in close proximity; and the costs of maintaining operations at current levels are high.
Implementation
Implementation of these changes will begin April 1, 2011.
How these changes benefit the CBSA
The CBSA will cut costs as a result of these changes, allowing the Agency to focus more resources on other priority areas that promote the health, security and safety of Canadians.
How these changes benefit Canadians
These closures and reduced hours will provide higher value for tax dollars and will better align the CBSA's resources to the priorities of Canadians.
To view the table of the different closures and reduced hours, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/tableaua0216.pdf
Contact Information: CBSA
Media Relations
613-957-6500