Ports of entry into Manitoba including Winkler, Gretna, Snowflake and Windygates will be receiving an upgrade in 2017. The Federal Government is investing over $113 million to build 17 new, modern border crossing facilities across the Province to keep up with increasing traffic and staffing.

Canada Border Services Agency Chief of Operations for the Prairie Region, Blair Downey explains the upgrades are welcome news. The Winkler port was originally built for one staff member, but now up to three people work out of the location.

"We've expanded, but the building hasn't kept pace," Downey says.

Traffic volumes for the Winkler port in the fiscal year of 2014 (April 1 2014, to March 31, 2015) totalled  88, 961 travellers.

"It's a busy port, we see a lot of traffic here," Downey says.

The plan is part of a $440 million investment by the Federal Government to replace aging ports of entry across Canada.

"It's all part of our commitment to ensure that the infrastructure surrounding our border security is updated and renovated," MP for Portage-Lisgar Candice Bergen says. "We recognize the important work that they do here seven days a week, 24 hours a day."

Work on the new buildings is expected to start in 2017, and finished by 2020.

MP for Portage-Lisgar Candice Bergen, with Emerson MLA Cliff Graydon, announced federal funding to modernize border crossings in Manitoba on Tuesday.