Border officers in Canada faced challenges reviewing security alerts for truck drivers entering from the U.S. last week due to a system outage, as reported by their union. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) had to manually process travelers following the outage that began on Sept. 28 and lasted for 48 hours. This led to significant delays of up to 38 hours for commercial trucks entering certain Canadian regions.
Mark Weber, the national president of the Customs and Immigration Union representing CBSA officers, expressed concerns about the lack of access to security information during the system downtime. By the time officers could access the information, trucks had already crossed the border, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.
Weber, along with the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), called for investments in upgrading the outdated IT infrastructure of CBSA, as the current system, dating back to the ’90s, is prone to such disruptions. The public safety minister has requested a detailed report from CBSA within 30 days, explaining the outage and outlining measures to prevent future incidents.
The CBSA clarified that the outages were due to unforeseen technical issues during routine maintenance and not a cyberattack. Steve Ondejko, the owner of Onfreight Logistics, emphasized the rare but costly impact of such outages on cross-border logistics. Instances like drivers waiting for hours at the border result in operational challenges and increased costs for companies, disrupting the smooth flow of goods between Canada and the U.S.
Despite challenges, investments like the Gordie Howe International Bridge aim to enhance cross-border trade efficiency. Ondejko stressed the importance of leveraging technology to streamline border processes and minimize disruptions for businesses operating in the region.