NEXUS Air Expansion

Notes for remarks by
The Honourable Stockwell Day
Minister of Public Safety

February 12, 2007
Toronto, Ontario
As delivered

Good morning ladies and gentlemen and thank you for your interest.

First, let me congratulate the Airport Authority here at Pearson for the incredible expansion that has taken place from as far back as 2004, including the opening of new terminals.

I am very pleased to announce this morning the expansion of the NEXUS travel program at Pearson International Airport. This high technology iris-scanning capability is going to allow for freer and more rapid movement across the border between Canada and the United States.

It's an incredible program. It's been piloted in Vancouver and is now opening here at Pearson. Throughout the year, the program will be launched at six more airports across the country.

All Canadians or permanent residents may apply, as long as they've lived in Canada for at least three years. It entails something similar to a passport check or a background check. The person also agrees to be fingerprinted and then a card is made available.

That card gives the person a more rapid access across the border. The person presents himself or herself in front of a scanning machine. The machine scans the iris and confirms the identity just by touching the screen. You answer some quick questions and away you go across the border. This program has been integrated in terms of the air, land and sea modes.

The NEXUS card is now accepted in lieu of a passport under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. As you know, that's a U.S. law that requires anybody going into the United States to have a passport. That includes Americans going back into the United States. We have pushed from the beginning for alternative documents to be acceptable along with a passport. The NEXUS card is one of those documents.

I want to congratulate the Canadian and American officials who have worked diligently to make this a reality at Pearson Airport today and soon to be a reality at airports across the country.

I want to also emphasize the work that Canada's New Government has done to enhance border security. In the 2006 Budget, we announced more than $430 million over five years for a series of initiatives that we call "smart and secure" borders. This is to help allow low risk travellers and low risk business to move swiftly across the borders and to help stop individuals who should not be going across the borders.

The Government of Canada, in Budget 2006, also provided $25 million over two years in support of the NEXUS program. All in all, we're aiming to make sure that our borders are both safe and secure but also open to prosperity.

I want to thank again the public servants here in Canada and individuals from the United States who have worked together on the NEXUS card project so that citizens from both our countries may benefit from this program.

We look forward to seeing the ongoing success of this program here at this tremendous airport.

Thank you.