AS part of their commitment under the Beyond the Border Action Plan for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness announced by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper in February 2011, Canada and the United States have announced the establishment of Binational Port Operations Committees at eight Canadian airports that provide a U.S. preclearance service.

This will facilitate legitimate cross-border trade and travel and promote collaboration on overall port management, and also facilitate the existing 20 committees established at land border ports. In addition, each Binational Port Operations Committee has developed an action plan that includes specific initiatives to improve border management and efficiency. The eight Canadian airports are:

•    Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver, British Columbia
•    Calgary International Airport, Calgary, Alberta
•    Edmonton International Airport, Edmonton, Alberta
•    James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, Winnipeg, Manitoba
•    Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario
•    MacDonald-Cartier International Airport, Ottawa, Ontario
•    Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport, Montréal, Quebec
•    Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Halifax, Nova Scotia

In addition, each Binational Port Operations Committee has developed an action plan that includes specific initiatives to improve border management and efficiency. Each action plan looks at enhancing both countries' ability to jointly address operational issues that impact both sides of the border, and facilitate communications during events.

Binational Port Operations Committees ensure that cooperation and partnering result in: enhanced collaboration on overall port management; co-ordinated emergency response and preparedness; the opportunity to integrate enforcement efforts; and an improvement to the efficiency of the mitigation strategies for border wait times. Consistent with the Beyond the Border Action Plan, a full evaluation of the committees will be conducted by the end of 2012, and in 2013 consideration will be given to expanding to additional land ports of entry, taking into account the results of the full evaluation. For more information on the Action Plan on Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness, please visit www.borderactionplan.gc.ca.

Helen Johnston
(hjohnston@travelinfo.ca)

Travelinfo.ca

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