The Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) has sharply criticized the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for its decision to reduce operating hours at more than a quarter of Canada’s land border crossings starting January 6, 2025. The union, which represents CBSA personnel across the country, said the move would negatively impact security, border communities, and industries reliant on cross-border traffic.
CBSA announced on November 18 that the changes are aimed at improving security and aligning operational hours with U.S. border crossings. Mark Weber, CIU National President, called the rationale “misguided” and said the decision was made without adequate consultation with frontline officers or affected communities.
“To claim that the border is more secure with ports closed more often is like saying that up is down — it’s nonsense,” Weber said. “At a time when all eyes are on the border, given the potential impact of the recent American presidential election, it is beyond shortsighted for the Agency to proceed with this reduction of service.”
Weber said some ports will see their hours cut from 24-hour operations to as few as 12 hours a day. This change, he added, could have significant consequences for rural communities that rely on border crossings for services, employment, and industries such as agriculture and forestry. The reduced hours will also force travellers and commercial operators to take longer detours during off-hours, potentially increasing costs and travel times.
The CIU president warned that the cuts could compromise security and economic connectivity with major U.S. cities, including Boston and Denver, served by some of the affected ports.
“This is not the first time that the Agency has sought to reduce hours of service at land ports, and the end result is that it makes the border both less secure and less functional,” Weber said. He called for greater investment in staffing to ensure border services can meet security and operational demands.
The CBSA has yet to respond to the union’s concerns or provide detailed information on how the new hours will impact border operations. The Customs and Immigration Union is part of the Public Service Alliance of Canada and represents a wide range of CBSA personnel, including border officers, intelligence officers, and support staff.