Public Safety Committee on March 26th, 2026

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

For those 220, do you know how many project ignite presentations have been given in the last fiscal year?

[Daniel Anson]

No, I'm not able to provide that information. I'm not sure how many presentations have been given, but again—

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

If there are 200 ports of entry, then I would assume that if presentations are done for each shift, and if there are three shifts, we're looking at probably—I can do the math—600 potential presentations you've done with project ignite in the past fiscal year.

It's my understanding that they're not getting the presentations they feel they need at the border, so is there a plan to make those happen, and more quickly? I believe we're looking at a dozen, maybe, that have happened, from what I've heard.

[Daniel Anson]

The plan, which we are executing right now, is not a matter of the one team or the people responsible for developing the training materials visiting all 200-plus ports of entry. It is the diffusion of the expertise and the fact that we have a nationally connected intelligence apparatus that sees nationally distributed products go to frontline intelligence officers and analysts, who will in turn brief their ports of entry across the regions—

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

I'll interrupt you, because that does answer my question.

I want to bring back just briefly.... Earlier, in answering the question about whether if anyone in your department had founded harassment complaints against them you would keep them on, you said you couldn't really answer whether or not you would keep them on. Does that mean there are instances where people have founded harassment complaints against them and you would keep them on?

[Daniel Anson]

In circumstances of harassment, I do not work within the labour relations area, but it is my understanding—

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

I just mean in your department specifically. If someone works in your department and there have been founded harassment complaints, would you let them go, or would you let them stay on?

[Daniel Anson]

It's my understanding, based on the legislation as well as policy and processes, that—

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

I'm just asking for your position personally. How do you feel about it? Would you keep them?

[Daniel Anson]

These are not decisions that necessarily come to the operational decision-maker. There are occupational health and safety committees that will make determinations to assess, after founded harassment complaints, how to restore the workplace to a safe and respectful environment. It is those teams, I understand, that will make those determinations, based on the severity of the harassment as well as the nature of the founded complaint. The complainant and the respondent are typically consulted on these processes.

But again, there's a very—

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

So it's nothing to do with you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jean-Yves Duclos]

I will have to interrupt. I'm sorry.

Mr. Ramsay, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, La Prairie—Atateken, QC]

I don't know where this comes from, exactly. I believe it is from the CBSA. I'll quote from it and ask for an answer afterwards: Under the Government of Canada expanding trade chain priorities, the CBSA is currently assessing marine ports of entry within Canada, including the port of Valleyfield, to determine CBSA service requirements moving forward.

Where are you with this assessment?

[Cathy Toxopeus]

Currently, we are assessing multiple requests for ports. Many along the seaway and the Great Lakes have put in their request. We're still awaiting some other ports that have not yet submitted requests. I can't speak to exactly where each one is, except to say that we are working with our partners at Transport Canada to figure out what makes the best economic sense and how to prioritize where we go. For CBSA, we just need to figure out what funding that would need as well.

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, La Prairie—Atateken, QC]

Specifically for the port of Valleyfield, where are you with your study?

[Cathy Toxopeus]

We are evaluating the business plan that was submitted. It's also pending additional documentation.

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, La Prairie—Atateken, QC]

Budget 2025 stated that CBSA, Public Safety Canada, Transport Canada and Global Affairs Canada would work together “to identify additional ports for container import and export designation” in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region. Have you had any meetings so far?

[Cathy Toxopeus]

Yes, we have. We meet with a lot of our port authorities and terminal operators who present cases. We help them navigate that kind of application.

It's not official yet—it is pending the building of a warehouse—but Hamilton has received an AR licence to receive cargo after it disembarks at the port of Montreal. We will be proceeding with that once all of the lovely infrastructure stuff is up to snuff and gets the final check mark.

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, La Prairie—Atateken, QC]

Okay.

I'd like to know which department or person would be the best to answer questions related to technical matters, such as scans and things like that, within CBSA.

[Cathy Toxopeus]

Do you mean for scanners?

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, La Prairie—Atateken, QC]

I mean for technical requirements.

[Cathy Toxopeus]

I can attempt to answer. Depending on how technical the question is, I might have to defer to my engineer colleagues.

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, La Prairie—Atateken, QC]

It could be an engineer from your department.

[Cathy Toxopeus]

Yes.

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, La Prairie—Atateken, QC]

Okay.

This is for Mr. Anson, or maybe Ms. Toxopeus.

How many containers that come in internationally are inspected in Canada right now? I'd like a percentage, please. I would assume that this is informed by intelligence, so please answer within those lines.