Aldergrove border to stay open to truckers

June 23, 2009

The Aldergrove border crossing will remain open to commercial trucks.

Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce incoming president Roberto Farina shared that good news with chamber members last Tuesday at the annual general meeting. He said lobbying efforts by the chamber, the B.C. Trucking Association and Langley MP Mark Warawa were instrumental in convincing Canada Border Services Agency not to close the border to commercial trucks.

Chamber executive director Lynn Whitehouse said Warawa is also pressing CBSA to move forward with plans to construct a new port of entry building for its staff at the border crossing. It will replace the existing building, which dates back to the 1970s.

Discussions within the agency about the new building had led to consideration of the idea of ending commercial shipments at Aldergrove, CBSA Pacific Highway director Kim Scoville said.

Warawa has told the chamber that the environmental assessment process for a new building is underway and he is hopeful that work will start on a new building within the next year or so.

"The Aldergrove border issue has turned very positive," Farina said Monday.

Thus far, there are no plans to expand service at the border crossing to 24 hours. It is currently open from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight. Any plans to do so would have to be co-ordinated with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.