Harper government enhances efficiency of Lansdowne Border Crossing - Improvements to make travel and trade more efficient and secure

LANSDOWNE, ON, April 2, 2013 /CNW/ - Gord Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds—Grenville, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, today announced funding to expand and improve the Lansdowne Border Crossing. This announcement follows through on commitments in the Beyond the Border Action Plan announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama in December 2011.

"Modern and efficient border crossings are essential to keeping trade moving and our economy on the right track," said MP Brown. "Our government is pleased to invest up to $60 million for job-creating infrastructure improvements at the Lansdowne Border Crossing that will help travellers and trade move faster between Canada and the U.S."

The Lansdowne Border Crossing, which is located at the Canadian side of the Thousand Islands Bridge, operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week and is a critical Canada-U.S. border crossing in Ontario with over $14 billion in two-way trade in 2012. Lansdowne is also an important border crossing for travellers each year with over 800,000 passenger vehicles passing through this point of entry in 2012.

"These improvements, including a new Canada Border Services Agency inspection plaza, will make the Lansdowne Border Crossing more efficient, reliable and secure," added MP Brown. "With the new Building Canada plan, we are delivering the largest investment in infrastructure in Canadian history through Economic Action Plan 2013 - investments that create jobs, economic growth, and provide a high quality of life for families in every city and community across the country."

The Government of Canada has allocated new funding for the Lansdowne improvements in Economic Action Plan 2012. Funding will flow through the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund.

The $2.1-billion Gateways and Border Crossings Fund (GBCF) is a program used to improve the flow of goods and people between Canada and the rest of the world. GBCF infrastructure funding targets projects that increase the productivity and efficiency of strategic transportation assets of national significance, such as bridges, roads and ports, which are part of international gateways, strategic trade corridors and key land border crossings.

This initiative adds to the government's unprecedented investments in infrastructure, announced in Canada's Economic Action Plan 2013. The government is delivering the new Building Canada plan to construct roads, bridges, subways, commuter rail, and other public infrastructure in cooperation with provinces, territories, and municipalities. Combined with other federal infrastructure investments, it supports Canada's infrastructure advantage, a key enabler of economic growth and job creation.  Since 2006, the federal government has made unprecedented investments in over 43,000 projects to build roads, bridges, commuter rail and other important public infrastructure.

The project is among key border crossings identified in the Beyond the Border Action Plan which was established with the United States to enhance our mutual security, prosperity and economic competitiveness. The action plan focuses on four areas:  addressing threats early; facilitating trade, economic growth and jobs; integrating cross border law enforcement; and strengthening critical infrastructure and cyber security.

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Backgrounder

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Beyond the Border - Lansdowne Border Crossing Project

The Lansdowne Port of Entry, located at the Thousand Islands Bridge in Ontario, is one of the most important crossings on the Canada-US border, both for commercial vehicles and passenger traffic.  Under the Beyond the Border Action Plan, released by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Barack Obama in December 2011, it was identified as a priority for investments by the Canadian Government.

Under the Beyond the Border Action Plan, Canada and the U.S. agreed to make significant infrastructure upgrades at key border crossings to facilitate trade and travel, thereby creating jobs and supporting growth and prosperity. The Government of Canada has allocated up to $60 million in new funding for the Lansdowne improvements in Budget 2012.  Funding will flow through the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund. To date, the Government of Canada has dedicated over $2.1 billion under the Fund to ensure the efficient flow of goods and people between Canada and the rest of the world.

The Beyond the Border Action Plan focuses on four areas: addressing threats early; facilitating trade, economic growth and jobs; integrating cross border law enforcement; and strengthening critical infrastructure and cyber security.

This project will construct a new Canada Border Services Agency inspection plaza, including an increase from the current eight to thirteen new Primary Inspection Lanes (two of which will be dedicated to commercial traffic), an expansion of the CBSA travellers' facility and the secondary examination facilities, and improved roadways. The Lansdowne Port of Entry (POE) is located in Lansdowne, ON, 40km east of Kingston, Ontario. The POE connects with Highway 401, which runs northeast to Montreal and southeast to Toronto and Highway 416 going north to Ottawa.

The CBSA inspection facilities at Lansdowne are owned and operated by the Federal Bridge Corporation Limited.

The planning phase of this project is scheduled to begin this year, with the construction phase expected to start in 2015 and to take approximately two years to complete.

Further details on the Beyond the Border Action Plan can be found at www.actionplan.gc.ca/border 

SOURCE: Transport Canada

Geneviève Sicard
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and
Communities
Ottawa
613-991-0700

Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055

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