Provencher Member of Parliament Ted Falk is disappointed that the Canada Border Services Agency won't reconsider its decision to cut hours at the South Junction, Piney and Tolstoi border crossings. The cuts take effect next Monday. CBSA held community consultation meetings last week in Piney and Tolstoi to get feedback on its plans and heard many pleas to reverse the decision. In response to questions from Friday, CBSA said it would not reconsider its plan.

Falk says he got the sense last week that the CBSA meetings were not consultations at all.

"It became apparent very quickly that this was not a consultation but that this was an advisory meeting and that was very disappointing. I believe many of the residents made some very compelling testimony as to why CBSA should reconsider its decision. But I don't think CBSA was there to listen and to reconsider. I think they were there to advise the community of impending changes."

Falk says the change will have a very negative effect for people who live in the vicinity of those crossings as they will now be required to drive an extra 100 kilometre round trip by going to the nearest 24-hour crossings in those areas. He says this affects not only people with dual citizenship who work shifts at plants in the U.S., but also those who go there for health care, shopping and recreation.

"This will add a significant cost because it will take a lot more fuel. If the Liberal Government was really concerned about emissions, you would think they would be looking at ways to reduce driving instead of forcing people to drive more.

Falk says at the request of people in the affected areas, he will continue pursuing the matter in Ottawa.

"They've asked me to take it up with the Minister of Public Safety which I did already two weeks ago. I will continue to do that and continue to ask him to reconsider this decision and to give a different directive to the CBSA."