Duane Hicks
With the United States looking to explore the option of collecting a fee to enter the country by land, no one involved in business on either side of the border seems to think it’s a good idea.
“We are cautious because we know this is only a proposal for a study, and so we want to acknowledge that,” said Faye Whitbeck, president of the International Falls Chamber of Commerce.
“But at the same time, we take it very seriously, particularly in light of the fact that we have been in brainstorming sessions with our sister city [Fort Frances] because we are interested in reciprocity and working together.
“And I think what this proposal indicates is a real lack of awareness on the impact that it has on the relationship between not only the border towns, but between our two countries and on economic and alliances,” Whitbeck added.
“It really ignores the back-and-forth relationship between border towns and how hard we’ve worked to ease and to expedite border crossings because this is going to do just the opposite,” she warned.
“It’s going to be bad for business, bad for both sides.”
Whitbeck argued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shouldn’t be in the business of collecting fees, adding that while “it may be good for them, it’s very likely bad for us, and for the countries at large.”
Businesses in International Falls are quite aware of the number of Canadian customers they have and appreciate it.
She added for the sake of a healthy relationship between the two communities, the Chamber is interested in growing the traffic the other way across the bridge—seeing Falls residents go to Fort Frances to shop, too.
A fee would not encourage this relationship in either direction.
“Our own citizens would have to pay this fee when they’re coming back, unless they have some other plan, but we have to assume that’s what they mean,” noted Whitbeck.
“We also have the current confusion regarding U.S. identity requirements, in terms of whether you have to have a passport or not,” she remarked.
“This is something we are constantly bombarded with here at the Chamber.
“We also have the issue of the Canadian entry denials due to the aged DUIs,” added Whitbeck.
“All of these things are out there in the wind for our visitors,” she stressed. “Now, another cost that is outside of the bridge toll is just another blow for our economics.”
Mark Caron, president of the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce, also said the proposed fee is not a good idea, and that the Canadian Chamber of Commerce will be lobbying against it.
“I think it’s very discouraging for any kind of cross-border traffic, whether it be people from the Falls coming over or us going over there,” he remarked.
“Why do we need another fee tacked on?” he wondered. “It’s already bad enough we’ve got to pay a bridge toll.”
What’s more, Caron said the business communities on both sides of the border have been interacting more since the start of the year, attending monthly brainstorming sessions and working co-operatively.
“[A border crossing fee] would put a negative spin on that, for sure,” he stressed.
“In reality, both communities are very tight because of the theatre and all that that’s there,” he added. “A lot of people from Fort use that, and now we’re going to have an extra fee tacked onto it?
“I think the U.S. government is looking at it as a ‘make money’ situation, and for us, it would just be negative,” Caron added.
Doug and Blair Anderson of Betty’s on Scott Street had nothing good to say about the possible fee.
Doug Anderson, who also is chair of the local BIA, said having to pay a bridge toll right now is bad enough, and that an additional fee would be a barrier to cross-border traffic and commerce.
For example, he and his wife enjoy going to the Falls and seeing a movie on the big screen. But what if they had to pay $12 extra?
“It would really, really wreck International Falls,” Anderson said of the impact on Falls’ businesses.
Blair Anderson noted that right now, Betty’s has to pay $10.75 to go over for a commercial pick-up. If they make more than 20 trips a year, U.S. Customs wants them to have a transponder.
“Maybe they’ll have everybody buy a transponder for $100 a year or some kind of a thing? Who knows?” he remarked.
“They’re not going to make much money anyway. It will cost more to administer than it’s worth,” he reasoned.
Doug Anderson said that if anything, the U.S. and Canada have to work together more—and a potential border-crossing fee “is throwing up a barrier.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is looking to study the cost of collecting new tolls for people walking or driving into the States from either Canada or Mexico.
But the proposal has been drawing fire from groups on both sides of the border over the past week-and-a-half.
