Ascot Resources has reopened the processing plant at Premier Mine near the town of Stewart, B.C. (Ascot Resources)
Bryant Schwengler, vice-president of operations and general manager of Premier Mine, said he has a large workforce — about 200 employees, who need to be able to cross the border at all hours of the day.
According to Schwengler, many of the company’s non-local employees return home during their off days, leaving the mining work camp around 3 a.m. to catch a bus at 5 a.m. in Stewart.
Reporting at the border by telephone, he said, takes longer than reporting in person.
“When you’re looking at bringing 20-30 people through the border at one time, the time increase can be quite significant,” said Schwengler.
Brand Danuser said Stewart’s tourism numbers beat pre-pandemic levels last summer, and the increased visitors and mining workforce are creating backups at the border.
“Tourists like to start their day early, so if they have to, unfortunately, get stuck in a lineup with a whole bunch of other workers, it’s a huge bottleneck,” she said.
The Canada Border Services Agency declined an interview, but said in a written statement it “regularly assesses the allocation of resources and hours of operations to respond to current service needs and evolving trends.”