Canada cracks down at the border, ending remote crossing option many Americans used

Canada is preparing to shut down a little-known border program that quietly allowed thousands of travellers to cross into remote regions without stopping at a customs post. The move will mostly affect Americans who regularly enter northern Ontario and southeastern Manitoba. Officials say tighter oversight is the goal, but users remain uneasy.

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What was the Remote Area Border Program?

The Remote Area Border Program, commonly known as RABC, allowed pre-approved Canadian and U.S. residents to cross into certain remote parts of Ontario and Manitoba without reporting to a staffed customs checkpoint. Instead, permit holders could freely enter designated areas under an annual authorization issued by the Canada Border Services Agency, as per a report by the National Post.

The program covered five sparsely populated border regions. In Ontario, these included Cockburn Island, the Sault Ste. Marie upper lock system near Michigan, waterways stretching from the Pigeon River to Lake of the Woods, and the entire Canadian shoreline of Lake Superior. The program also applied to Minnesota’s Northwest Angle, a geographically isolated area bordering southern Manitoba.

CBSA says the program historically attracted about 11,000 participants each year, with roughly 90 per cent of them being Americans, as per a report by the National Post.

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Why is Canada ending the program?

CBSA has confirmed the RABC program will officially end at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2026. Starting the following month, travellers entering these remote areas will need to report their entry either at a staffed border station or through designated telephone reporting sites.

According to the agency, replacing RABC with telephone reporting will improve border security and create consistent expectations for all travellers. In a press release, CBSA said the change “ensures a consistent level of security and expectations of compliance for everyone.”

A CBSA spokesperson added that telephone reporting allows greater oversight of when and where travellers enter Canada in remote regions, strengthening accountability, as per a report by the National Post.

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How will travellers report entry going forward?

Under the new system, travellers arriving at designated land or marine reporting sites must contact the CBSA’s Telephone Reporting Centre at the time of entry. Only the vehicle operator may exit to report, using either a provided phone or their own device.

As with a traditional border crossing, the caller must supply identification details, travel purpose, length of stay, passenger information, and any required declarations, as per a report by the National Post.

Telephone reporting for private boats and general aviation has existed for years under the CANPASS program. The land-based version expanded in 2022, and CBSA says the upcoming sites will be the first formal land reporting locations of this kind in Canada.

The new locations, which "will be decided in the coming months in consultation with Indigenous communities, local businesses, and law enforcement partners," will be the first of their kind in Canada, CBSA informed National Post via email.

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The locations of the new reporting sites have not yet been finalized. CBSA says they will be decided in consultation with Indigenous communities, local businesses, and law enforcement partners.

"Replacing the RABC Program with telephone reporting at the time of entry will ensure a higher level of security, accountability, and consistency in border management by enabling greater CBSA oversight over when and where travellers are entering Canada in remote areas,” a spokesperson for the agency explained.

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Who is most affected by the change?

Permit holders were largely paddlers, fishing guides, their guests, and U.S. residents who own property in Canada. The Ely Echo in Minnesota reported that the program was widely used for recreational and seasonal access rather than commercial travel.

For those entering Canada through Minnesota’s Northwest Angle by land, travellers were already required to contact CBSA’s Telephone Reporting Centre ahead of arrival, a rule that will now apply more broadly, as per a report by the National Post.

CBSA also noted that the new system aligns more closely with how travellers report to U.S. Customs and Border Protection in remote areas. While CBP does not operate a specific land-based system, it uses the ROAM app, allowing travellers to report entry using personal devices or tablets at local businesses.

Why has the decision drawn criticism?

The move follows more than a year of uncertainty. In September 2024, Canada paused the RABC program, suspending new applications and renewals during an administrative review. Existing permits were first extended through the end of 2025, then extended again until the program’s final end date in 2026.

Several U.S. lawmakers have voiced concern. Minnesota Congressman Peter Stauber, along with Michigan Congressman Jack Bergman and North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer, wrote to Canadian officials expressing disappointment with the program’s termination, as per a report by the National Post.

“Unfortunately, the nearly two-year review of the RABC program has been marred by uncertainty and retracted statements,” the letter stated. The lawmakers said permit holders were left without clear answers during the review period.

They also urged Canadian officials to clarify access rules, explain how stakeholder needs would be addressed, and engage directly with affected remote communities.

What are local businesses saying?

Some business owners remain cautiously optimistic. Donny Sorlie, owner of the Chippewa Inn on the Canadian side of Saganaga Lake, said the new system could work if implemented properly.

“It very well could be a good thing, as long as they get it figured out,” Sorlie told Paddle and Portage Magazine. “Until then, we’re still feeling a bit left in the dark here.”

FAQs

When does the Remote Area Border Program end?

The program officially ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2026.



Who used the program the most?

About 90 per cent of permit holders were Americans, many of them paddlers, anglers, and property owners.