U.S. border closing plans revealed

TheStar ^

[Happy2BMe]

Jan. 3, 2004. 01:00 AM

U.S. border closing plans revealed
Terror attack could force shutdown, documents show

American law might hurt Ontario manufacturing, trade

THERESA BOYLE
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU

The United States would virtually close the Canada-U.S. border if a terrorist attack were launched anywhere near it, according to documents obtained under access-to-information legislation.

"One additional terrorist attack, that had its origins in Canada or occurred at, or along, the Canada-U.S. border, would likely cause Congress to lift the drawbridge," warn the documents from the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.

The confidential government documents also sound the alarm over newly implemented U.S. anti-terrorism legislation, warning it could wreak havoc on Ontario manufacturers.

The legislation, which took effect Dec. 12, requires trucking firms, air cargo companies and railway shippers to submit electronic data about their deliveries of food and beverage products before they can enter the United States.

"If implemented, as Congress probably intended, entry/exit could create monumental delays at the border, with devastating effects on Ontario's export industries," read the Oct. 23 documents.

Miranda Hawkins, a ministry spokeswoman, said the first phase of enforcement of the new law will begin March 12.

"This ... grace period will give truck drivers and food manufacturers the opportunity to comply with the new regulations," she said.

The internal government documents say Ontario and its neighbouring American states must influence their respective federal governments in talks over border security.

"If we cannot, and if protracted border delays become the norm, then losses to business on both sides of the border will become very significant," the documents warn.

The United States is Ontario's largest trading partner with 93 per cent of the province's international exports going south of the border.

Ontario's economic prosperity is affected by the tenor of Canada-U.S. relations.

"The government believes security need not be curtailed in order to facilitate trade and trade need not be sacrificed in order to be more safe and secure," Hawkins said.

With the recent raising of the U.S. national terrorist alert to orange from yellow, wait times at southern Ontario border crossings have been slightly longer than usual.

The Canada Customs Web site showed motorists waiting up to two hours at the Queenston-Lewiston bridge at 12:30 p.m. yesterday.

"It will cause a delay," Canada Customs spokeswoman Jean D'Amelio Swyer said yesterday of the U.S. orange alert.

Also contributing to delays are enhanced security measures imposed by Canada in response to the orange alert, a hike in holiday travel and the resumption of post-Christmas commercial traffic, she added.

Hawkins said any delays in border crossings attributed to the code orange were minimal and she cited the traditional low volume of commercial traffic at this time of year.

[Mears]

Now if they would only pull up the drawbridge in our southern border.

[Happy2BMe]

Canadian border up for grabs - nothing about the Mexican border - ping!

[wiseone]

The bed-wetting Canadian liberals will make us ALL PAY for their grandiose holier than thou “moral superiority,flooding Canada with 3d world turds and terrorists!!

[OpusatFR]

Sure. Border security. It's a joke now and I'd laugh but they won't make them more secure, northern or southern borders, until the worst happens. Can't forgo those votes now can we?

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[hedgetrimmer]

Why wait? This will just give the terrorists time to rush in before it gets closed.

[AntiKev]

Great, just what we need here in Windsor. More trucks backed up because they closed the borders. This would wreak havoc on the city as a main artery would be basically completely blocked to all traffic. I really wish that the damn Liberals would just get the heck outta government so that we could get something done OTHER than raising taxes and paying politicians sky high salaries for doing nothing.

[Amerigomag]

nothing about the Mexican border

Never the Mexican boarder. I don't think they know how.

Too many future Republicans for Bush to act.

[tet68]

Close the borders for a few weeks, no flights in or out, watch the world come to a halt.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Is this the same Canada that in another thread was whining about the Muslims who couldn't get into the states and were so so sad ?

Flood our country with Muslims and YOU Suffer the consequences !

So send em back to where they came from at your governments expense not ours and we will talk about money and trade when were done !

[Happy2BMe]

I feel for ya bro!

Canada and the United States have forever been unbreakable allies since the Normandy invasion (Canada led one division, US two, and Brits two).

This is a sad day.

IMHO, the real threat lies from the South.

[Rebelbase]

Its about time someone considered closing the Candadian border. In my town all the jobs are being taken by illegal aliens from Canada. They are flooding into this country to take advantage of our welfare programs.

The schools can hardly keep up becuase all of the illegal alien children only speak Canadian.

/sarcasm.

[SandRat]

Now if they would only pull up the drawbridge in our southern border.

Pull up the drawbridge? Blow it up!

[debg]

Well, this IS a Canadian (Toronto Star) article written by a Canadian.

[jocon307]

"Close the borders for a few weeks, no flights in or out, watch the world come to a halt."

That'd be fine by me. Make it a couple of years in fact. Let's see if we can't get along without them all. And let them get along without us.

[MeekOneGOP]

[MattAMiller]

And this is what all those "close the border" folks want us to do? It won't stop anybody intent on sneaking in, all it will do is screw up the economy on both sides of the border.

[MeekOneGOP]

On a totally different subject ... Pat Robertson says that God told him who's gonna win the 2004 election !

Tune in to FOX News channel after the break here ! ...