Senate Defence Committee members visit Quebec border crossings and points of entry July 20-21, 2009
Senator Colin Kenny, chair of the Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence, and Senator Pierre Claude Nolin will be visiting border crossings and points of entry in Montreal and Stanstead, Quebec on July 20 and 21, 2009.
Senators Kenny and Nolin will tour and receive briefings on passenger processing and commercial operations at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport, the Port of Montreal and the Stanstead land border crossing.
Their itinerary includes:
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport: walk-a-bout of passenger processing facilities/baggage-handling areas; tour of CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) commercial and postal operations; discussions with CBSA enforcement/intelligence officials, CSIS officials, RCMP officials; meeting with CBSA union representatives
- Port of Montreal: tour of passenger and commercial processing facilities, briefing on NEXUS, FAST, Partners in Protection
- Stanstead: briefing on the Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET)
Members of the media are invited to accompany them as follows:
Monday, July 20 : 2:30 p.m.
Briefing on CBSA airport operations
Senators Kenny and Nolin will be available for interviews following the briefing.
Media should contact Steve MacNaughton at (613) 930-3208 or Steve.MacNaughton@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca for address and directions
Media contact: Maureen Boyd at maureen.boyd@mac.com or (613) 863-1952
Onsite media contact: Steve MacNaughton at (613) 930-3208
Tuesday, July 21 : ll:30 a.m.
Limited tour of port operations at the Port of Montreal
Senators Kenny and Nolin will be available for interviews.
Address and directions to follow in separate advisory to be released Monday afternoon
Media contact: Maureen Boyd at maureen.boyd@mac.com or (613) 863-1952
Onsite media contact: Larry Brookson, RCMP (613) 447-6975
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 Halifax International Airport, the Port of Halifax, the Port of St. John, the St. Stephen land border crossings on July 22-24, 2009. Last week, Senators received briefings on passenger processing and commercial operations at Pearson International Airport, Ambassador Bridge, Fort Erie/Windsor land crossing, Hamilton Port and with the Windsor and Niagara Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETs). Committee members plan to visit border crossings and points of entry in Alberta and British Columbia in September.
The purpose of the trips are 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 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 at maureen.boyd@mac.com or (613) 863-1952