Senate Defence Committee leadership visits Ontario border crossings and points of entry July 15-16, 2009
Senator Colin Kenny, chair of the Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence, and Senator Pamela Wallin, deputy chair, will be visiting border crossings and points of entry in Toronto and Southern Ontario on July 15 and July 16, 2009.
Senators Kenny and Wallin will tour and receive briefings on passenger processing and commercial operations at Pearson International Airport, Ambassador Bridge, Fort Erie/Windsor land crossing and with the Windsor and Niagara Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETs).
Members of the media are invited to accompany them for a briefing on RCMP airport operations at Pearson International Airport and to tour the commercial facilities and to view a truck inspection including a VACIS gamma-ray scanner machine at Customs Plaza at Windsor. (See details below)
This is one in a series of visits to border crossings and points of entry that will take place across the country. Committee members will be visiting Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport, the Port of Montreal and the Stanstead IBET July 20 – 21, and Halifax International Airport, the Port of Halifax, the Port of St. John, the St. Stephen and the Calais, Maine land border crossings on July 22-24, 2009. Committee members plan to visit border crossings and points of entry in Alberta and British Columbia in September.
The purpose of the trip is to:
- receive an updated picture of the issues and challenges affecting Canadian border security
- evaluate coordination and cooperation between the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
- evaluate the management of Canada’s ports of entry
- evaluate existing (and possible) mechanisms for cooperation between the Canada and U.S. border, police, intelligence and immigration authorities
- receive briefings on effectiveness and timeliness of intelligence and the state of cooperation and coordination between government agencies
Senators are particularly interested in the relationship between border security and the economy in Canada and will be examining the border issues in that context.
The schedule for July 15-16 is as follows:
Wednesday, July 15: 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Briefing on RCMP Airport operations.
Senators Kenny and Wallin will be available for interviews following the briefing.
Media should arrive at 255 Attwell Drive, Etobicoke ON M9W 7G2 before 11:45 a.m.
Media contact: Maureen Boyd at maureen.boyd@mac.com or 613-863-1952
Onsite media contact: Insp. Dean Dickson, RCMP 905-299-2187
Thursday, July 16: 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Tour of commercial facilities and truck inspection including VACIS.
Senators Kenny and Wallin will be available for interviews following the briefing.
Media should arrive at Customs Plaza, Canada Customs, Ambassador Bridge, Ontario before 11:15 a.m.
Media contact: Maureen Boyd at maureen.boyd@mac.com or 613-863-1952
Onsite media contact (and for directions): Steve MacNaughton, CBSA, 613-930-3208
The trip follows testimony given by Mike Cabana, Assistant Commissioner, Federal and International Operations, Border Integrity Section and Warren Coons, Director of the Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBET) of the RCMP before the committee on June 8, 2009 and testimony given by Barbara Hébert, Vice-President, Operations Branch and Kimber Johnston, Vice-President, Enforcement Branch of the Canada Border Services Agency on June 22, 2009.
That testimony as well as the Committee’s schedule of meetings, mandate, membership and biographical notes of Senators, recent reports and minutes of proceedings can be accessed at http://senate-senat.ca/defe-e.asp
Previously constituted Senate Committees on National Security and Defence published two earlier reports on border security:
1) Canadian Security Guide Book: 2007 Edition: Border Crossings}
Published 39th Parliament, 2nd session
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/defe-e/rep-e/rep10mar07-e.pdf
2) Borderline Insecure: Canada’s Land Border Crossings are Key to Canada’s Security and Prosperity. Why the Lack of Urgency to Fix Them? What will Happen If We Don’t?
Published 38th Parliament, 1st session
http://www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/defe-e/rep-e/repintjun05-e.htm
For further information or to arrange for interviews, please contact:
Maureen Boyd
Tel.: 613-863-1952
maureen.boyd@mac.com