The potential port of entry closures are causing concern throughout the area.
“The closing of any of the border crossings within the Boundary area would have a negative impact on our recovering local economies,” commented Todd Benson, Boundary Country Regional Chamber of Commerce (BCRCC) vice-chair.
“Our region has experienced significant positive activity in the last 12 months in terms of recovering from the effects of the global economic meltdown. Positive developments such as the re-opening of the mill in Midway and, in Grand Forks, the significant infrastructure investment at Interfor, as well as strong production levels at Roxul, would be dampened by the loss of services at our international border crossings in the Boundary.”
Confidential information from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) was recently released citing potential closure of a number of border crossings across Canada, including some that are in and around the Boundary.
“We would like to see alternatives to outright closures of the crossings be explored. Better efficiency might be achieved through reduced hours or the use of technology to still allow for the safe passage of people and goods between us and our largest trading partner,” Benson stated.
“Frequent travelers could utilize a NEXUS type pass to move freely over the 49th parallel. Basically, the BCRCC believes the cost to the fragile economy of the Boundary is too great to offset any possible savings of reduced services at the border crossings.“
The BCRCC oversees a large area with board representation from Christina Lake to Rock Creek and places in between.
The goals include sharing business, relocation, visitor and community information, co-ordinating Boundary Country marketing at a regional level, engaging businesses in issues of government relations, education, infrastructure, taxation, workforce development and creating regional alliances that lead to effective, mutually-beneficial collaborations in order to develop regional initiatives that lead to increased funding opportunities.