The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is adjusting service hours at land border crossings across the country, including two in the Kootenays.
Effective January 6, 2025, the Cascade border crossing, southeast of Grand Forks, will operate from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Currently, the crossing is open from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. daily.
The Nelway crossing, south of Nelson, will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., instead of the current 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. schedule.
A total of 35 land ports across Canada will see reduced hours in the new year.
A statement from the CBSA indicates that the decision was made in collaboration with the United States to enhance overall security in both countries, enabling the CBSA to deploy officers more effectively at busier ports of entry.
Additionally, the changes will support the CBSA’s ability to process travellers and goods more efficiently and to manage enforcement activities.
The U.S. is also adjusting service hours at many of its ports of entry. The CBSA says this alignment will facilitate the return of inadmissible travellers and goods between the two countries, which is more challenging when one side of the border is closed while the other remains open.
These adjustments are based on an analysis of operational pressures, peak periods, and service demands at ports of entry, aiming to minimize the impact on border communities.
Nearly all affected ports of entry are processing an average of two or fewer vehicles or commercial trucks per hour during the hours being reduced. Travellers will have alternative border crossing options within a 100-kilometre radius.
A full list of the impacted border crossings can be found here.
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