The Canada Border Services Agency has released a number of figures on what agents were dealing with in the Southern Ontario Region in 2022.
The operational and enforcement highlights released Tuesday cover the period from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2022, covering the southern portion of Ontario including the cities of Windsor, Sarnia, London, Fort Erie and Niagara Falls, and their surrounding communities.
CBSA agents seized approximately 870.43 kg of narcotics, 208 firearms and over $1.1-million in undeclared currency and monetary instruments, a 57 per cent increase over the same period in 2021.
A total of 281,165 kg in significant tobacco seizures took place equating to a total value of over $52-million. The region also seized 3,537.61 Litres of alcohol with a total value of $126,000.
Michael Prosia, Director for the Southern Ontario Region, says between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, their agents intercepted 116 individuals wanted on outstanding warrants, arrested 105 individuals for impaired driving related offences, and refused entry to 1,256 individuals for serious criminality.
"We're focusing on those high-risk travellers and commodities, this is just some excellent other work that our officers do, that kind of isn't something people think about when crossing the border, it's certainly something our officers take a lot of pride in," he says.
Prosia says officers were also able to return three missing children to their families.
"Being able to reunite a child with their family, for example, or keeping firearms or narcotics off of a Canadian streets, it's so fulfilling for our officers and for all of us who work for the CBSA in order to make sure we accomplish those types of things. Not only is it personal pride but it's pride in our organization and pride in our country," he says.
(Photo by AM800's Patty Handysides)
The CBSA in the Southern Ontario Region processed 11,986,404 individuals, which accounted for 44 per cent of the national travellers who crossed at land borders. It also represents 25 per cent of the national travellers who crossed in all modes (land, air, marine and rail).
Agents in the Southern Ontario Region processed 2,645,152 trucks, which accounted for 64 per cent of the total national land border commercial conveyance volumes in highway mode, while processing goods with a total value for duty equalling $215-billion.
Prosia says it's truly remarkable when you think about the sheer volume of commercial trucks that are processed in this part of Canada
"It's truly remarkable when you think about how much of an impact that has on our overall economy," he says. "From a facilitation stand point, that sheer amount we've been able to manage in our region in terms of commercial volumes in supporting the economy, to me is excellent."
The Southern Ontario Region of the CBSA is home to four of the top six busiest traveller land border operations, and the top four busiest commercial land border operations in Canada, which includes the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor.