Letter to the Hon. Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness - Following reports of new penalties for boaters crossing into the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence river mid-transit, Schumer calls for common sense, clear, & consistent cross-border travel enforcement; fines for boats on water & undocked, hurt already-devastated cross-border tourism industry in Northern New York

Letter

Dear Minister Blair,

I write to express concerns about the Canada Border Services Agency's (CBSA) recent cross border travel enforcement for boaters in the St. Lawrence River area. CBSA has warned U.S. boat tour companies and recreational boaters that they will be fined for crossing onto the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence River although they do not dock. This is a deviation away from standard practice and the unfair fines would take a heavy toll on business and residents that are so vital to the region. I agree it is important to put in place smart safety guidelines to mitigate spread of the COVID-19 virus, however boaters crossing the border mid-transit do not pose additional risk to Canadians since there will be no docking or venturing onto Canadian land. I believe a balance can be struck that allows tour boats to traverse both sides of the border and maintain public safety.

Cross border tourism has long been a staple for Northern New York's Thousand Islands. Tourism contributed nearly $400 million to the regional economy. Unfortunately, many tour boat businesses and recreational boaters have recently reported facing fines when they cross onto the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence River. Previously, only boats that docked on Canadian ports without the requisite clearance would be subject to fines from CBSA. However, that enforcement has now been expanded to those boats that are mid-transit even though there is no additional risk of COVID-19 transmission to Canadian's if boaters do not dock and remain on the water. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has not implemented a similar policy meaning that Canadian tour boats are free to cross onto the American side of the border without risk of being penalized. If true, that type of uneven enforcement is wrong and puts US boat tour companies at a disadvantage.

These fines impose an additional burden to small businesses and residents that are already beleaguered by decline in business due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the North Country and New York State currently implement phase four of reopening I would ask that you work concurrently with CBP, North Country officials and all other necessary personnel to establish a system by which boaters are able to dial into a dedicated number and request preclearance to travel onto the Canadian side without risk of fines. As part of the preclearance process tour boat operators can confirm that their guests are compliant with social distancing rules and wearing masks. Such a system, which would not increase the risk of COVID-19 spread to Canadians, can ensure that tour boat businesses are adhering to best practices in terms of reducing risk of virus spread while allowing those businesses to still provide the full tour for their guests.

I thank you for your attention to this matter and look forward to our continued collaboration on this and other matters.

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