Kiosk malfunctions causing delays for travelers at certain Canadian airports have been criticized as unacceptable by the head of Canada’s border agency. Toronto Pearson Airport recently experienced issues with its inspection kiosks, resulting in delays for passengers in two terminals. This incident is the latest in a series of problems affecting the aging IT infrastructure of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
CBSA President Erin O’Gorman expressed concern over the reliance on legacy systems and the need for contingency plans to prevent such outages from occurring. A previous system outage had hindered border officers from reviewing security flags related to truck drivers entering the country from the United States, as reported by the officers’ union.
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree has requested a report from O’Gorman within 90 days regarding recent technology challenges. Anandasangaree reassured Canadians that efforts are made to address outages promptly and ensure the functionality of the systems.
The government’s announcement to hire 1,000 new border workers was made during a news conference at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Anandasangaree outlined plans to fulfill the commitment to hire additional personnel, increase stipends for recruits, and facilitate retirement for existing officers without pension reductions.
Funding of $617.7 million over five years has been allocated by the Public Safety department for these initiatives, separate from a previous $1.3-billion investment in border security. The hiring of 1,000 new personnel, a mix of armed officers and intelligence officers, aligns with the government’s public safety priorities.
The opposition has raised questions about the training capacity of the Canada Border Services Agency to accommodate the influx of new officers. Plans to increase throughput at the primary training college in Rigaud, Quebec, are being developed to address this concern.
The decision to hire more officers coincides with heightened attention to the U.S.-Canada border by President Donald Trump, who has raised concerns about fentanyl trafficking. Despite Trump’s claims, CBSA data shows limited fentanyl seizures at the border, with most of the drug originating from Asian countries.
The government’s response to bolster border security and address concerns regarding drug trafficking reflects ongoing collaboration between Canada and the U.S. to enhance border protection measures.
