BOUNDARY WATERS – People who cross the border lakes this fall who are enrolled in the NEXUS Program may have an easier time traveling into Canada.

In a statement sent May 8 to Paddle & Portage media, officials with the Canada Border Services Agency said discussions continue regarding telephone reporting sites that will replace the Remote Area Border Crossing Program when it dissolves in mid-September. However, for the first time, CBSA officials said “If a site is designated with NEXUS Marine service, then NEXUS members may call 30 minutes to 4 hours in advance of their arrival.”

NEXUS is designed to speed up border crossings into Canada and the United States for “low-risk, pre-approved travelers,” according to CBSA officials. It is jointly run by the CBSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. NEXUS memberships are valid for five years. There is a $120 non-refundable application processing fee.

Before mentioning the NEXUS Program, Karine Martel, a spokesperson for CBSA, said travelers are expected to call from the designated reporting site.

“After speaking with an officer they will be informed whether they can proceed to their destination or whether further examination is required,” she said.

As we reported earlier this year, officials from the Canadian government were seeking input from various stakeholders on where telephone reporting sites should be located once the RABC Program ends Sept. 14. As of this date, “all travelers entering Canada through remote areas of northern Ontario or from the Northwest Angle into southern Manitoba must report to the CBSA at a port of entry or a designated telephone reporting site,” according to CBSA officials.

The location sites could range from Quetico ranger stations such as the one at Cache Bay, to small resorts located on the Canadian side of lakes such as Saganaga.

“Travelers will be required to phone in from a designated telephone reporting site,” Martel told Paddle & Portage media earlier this year. “They will be able to use their cell phones to call the telephone reporting center to report their entry to Canada, or they can use the phones provided on site.”

As the end of the popular Remote Area Border Crossing Program nears, more than 200 people responded to a request earlier this year from the Canadian government regarding where people should report in from as they cross border lakes near or in the Boundary Waters. Discussion continues between various user groups and the government to determine how to implement the new policy of telephone reporting sites once the RABC Program ends, Martel said.

Regarding the next steps in the dissolving of the RABC Program and the survey on telephone reporting sites, Canadian officials said May 8, “The CBSA is continuing to engage with local businesses and property owners as well as Indigenous, municipal, provincial and federal government entities to identify and designate reporting sites. Several site owners have expressed interest in designation and the process is underway.”

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