Arming customs agents will likely cost students jobs

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has had a busy year to date. Fort Frances Division Superintendent Doug Cuthberson filled in the members of the Rainy River District Municipal Association on what they have seen and done at the border in the past several months.
He noted that Fort Frances Division encompasses Rainy River and Fort Frances Points of Entry, airports at Fort Frances, Kenora, Dryden, Red Lake and Sioux Lookout; marine reporting sites at Sandpoint Lake, Prairie Portage, Cyclone Island, Rainy Lake and Rainy River.
The division currently has 50 full time officers, 5 superintendents, 1 chief of operations, 6 seasonal “on call” officers, 3 clerks and up to 22 summer students.
While he only brought stats for the Fort Frances crossing he noted that they do paint an accurate picture of what goes on across the division.
“We process annually approximately 800,000 travellers, which has not changed significantly in the last few years. We did however see a decrease between 8 and 10% this year in U.S. travellers entering Canada however there was a marked increase (almost 20%) in returning Canadians for an overall increase in total traffic of around 10%. This is of course directly related to the U.S. dollar and out-shopping.”
From April to December of last year CSBA collected $2.4 million in duty, GST and PST on personal importations. “That is a 52% increase over the same period last year,” said Cuthbertson.
However, that is only a small part of what they do in the division. Since April of 2007 officers have had 289 drug related arrests or detentions, 222 seizures that include 27 fail to report to Customs on entry, 41 drug related seizures including marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, magic mushrooms, valium, oxycotin, 37 undeclared liquor seizures and 29 seizures of prohibited weapons including switchblades, butterfly knives, tasers, stun guns and 4 hand guns.
17 arrests were made by officers under the criminal code consisting of 8 impaired drivers, 5 outstanding arrest warrants, 2 breach of conditions warrants and 2 arrests for possession of stolen property.
Cuthbertson announced that the first two from Fort Frances port of entry left on Saturday for firearms training. “I expect that all our officers there will be armed within 4-5 years and Rainy River officers will begin training in about 2 years. The summer students program will then be phased out due to the firearms training needed.”
The cutting of about 22 summer students alarmed RRDMA members who asked Cuthbertson about the loss of those summer jobs and how that busy season will be handled by CBSA. He said that CBSA will likely train and hire seasonal workers for the summer months.
He did say students could apply for the seasonal jobs, get the training and rehire back on the next year.