Canada is preparing to end a long running remote border entry system used along parts of the U.S. border, with the federal government confirming that the Remote Area Border Crossing program will be fully discontinued in September 2026. The change will affect thousands of travellers who currently enter Canada through isolated border regions without visiting a staffed port of entry.
The Canada Border Services Agency says the Remote Area Border Crossing permits will remain valid only until 11:59 p.m. on September 13, 2026. Beginning September 14, travellers entering Canada through designated remote locations will be required to report their entry either in person at a border station or by using a new telephone reporting service immediately after crossing.
The program, which has been in place for decades, allowed pre approved travellers to move across the border in remote areas of northern Ontario and southern Manitoba with minimal processing. Roughly 11,000 permit holders used the system each year, with government data showing that close to 90 percent of participants were U.S. residents.
According to CBSA guidance, the new telephone reporting requirement will apply to several remote regions, including the Northwest Angle area, Pigeon River through Lake of the Woods, the Canadian shore of Lake Superior, the Sault Ste. Marie upper lock system, and Cockburn Island. The agency says the change is designed to standardize reporting rules across different modes of entry.
Federal officials say the shift will align land border reporting in remote areas with existing requirements already in place for marine and small aircraft travellers entering Canada. In a government statement, CBSA noted that the updated approach is intended to strengthen border security and ensure consistent compliance standards, while also mirroring how travellers report to U.S. Customs and Border Protection when entering the United States through remote crossings.