PM won’t say if guns crux of Nexus impasse

• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to say whether firearms were at the heart of the impasse that has kept Nexus enrolment centres closed in Canada more than three months after they reopened south of the border.

“I think it’s really important that we are able to stay true to our values as Canadians but respect the way we need to work together,” he told reporters Friday on a visit to Stratford, P.E.I.

“There are ongoing conversations right now and we’re going to try and make sure they get resolved in a way that is acceptable to both sides.”

Nexus is a “trusted traveller” program that expedites entry for pre-cleared border crossers, typically through separate lines and automated kiosks at land crossings and airports as well as marine ports.

As first reported in the National Post on Friday, a dispute over U.S. agents’ right to carry guns on Canadian soil has delayed the reopening of Nexus offices in Canada.

The standoff has led to a massive backlog in applications for the program.

The Canada Border Services Agency says the number of Nexus applications has ballooned to 341,688 from about 270,000 in April at a time when delays are wreaking havoc on travellers’ summer plans.

Canada and the U.S. remain in discussions about when the 13 enrolment centres will reopen for applicant interviews as the two sides try to clarify “legal protections” for American customs officers while they are working at the jointly staffed centres, agency spokeswoman Rebecca Purdy said in an email.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed the holdup revolves around legal “authorities” for its Nexus office staff.

“One example could include the authority to carry or have access to a firearm while on duty,” spokeswoman Rhonda Lawson said in an email.

Two senior Canadian government sources told The Canadian Press the U.S. wants its customs officers who work in Nexus centres to have the same protections guaranteed to its preclearance officers in Canada under a binational agreement, with sidearms as a major sticking point in the talks.

The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.