Canada planning technological fixes to make crossing the border faster

Submitted by admin on Tue, 01/25/2022 - 03:37

Facial recognition, advance customs declarations, electronic gates are among the planned changes

Zipping through the Canada-U.S. border in 15 seconds. Facial recognition cameras at the airport to open an electronic gate. Sending your declaration to customs before you even get off the plane.

Those are just some of the changes in the works at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) — partly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Denis Vinette, vice-president of the CBSA's travellers branch, said the agency had been considering technological changes to the border — but the pandemic has allowed it to break through "glass ceilings" that were in the way.

This was excerpted from the 24 January 2022 edition of CBC News.