Job cuts at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) could cause longer wait times entering Canada.

The newest Canadian budget proposes a reduction of roughly 1,000 CBSA employees. There is a lively debate going on between the Customs and Immigration Union and the government as to how many border officers will be cut, and whether this will really affect border wait times.  Obviously, if there is any reduction in essential personnel or the number of officers handling traffic it has the potential to increase backups at the border.

A second issue is that Canadian customs officers have shown they are willing to walk off the job to protest what they consider unacceptable working conditions.  In April, officers at the Peace Bridge border crossing staged a work slowdown over these cutbacks that snarled traffic for half a day.   In February, Canadian officers created a major traffic jam at the Detroit Windsor Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge when they left their posts in protest over working conditions.  These walk-offs have been unannounced, so there is not much you can do except check current traffic conditions. Ezbordercrossing.com will post any information it may receive about potential problems and you should always check the page for your specific port for current border wait times.