A community meeting will be held this week in Rossland on plans to build a new border crossing at Paterson.
The $18-million project is expected to begin soon and be completed in the summer of 2028. Canada Border Services says the work will be done gradually so that the crossing, which is open 24 hours a day, never has to be closed.
Regional District of Kootenay Boundary director Linda Worley said she supports the project, which will see the existing customs building replaced with a larger one, along with a primary inspection lane booth, three new covered bays, and a new enclosed bay.
Some existing buildings will remain in use until the new ones are completed, and then they will be demolished. Worley said she has asked Canada Border Services to be mindful of historical photos and artifacts in the existing facility.
“There’s so many historical things in the old building and I asked if they were going to maintain that history and carry some of it over into the new building,” she said. “I was told that they do not plan to forget about the history of that building.”
Although a port of entry has existed at Paterson since the late 1890s, the existing border station was reportedly built in 1950 and upgraded in 1980 and 1990. A new crossing on the US side at Frontier opened in 2011.
Greyback Construction Ltd. of Penticton was awarded the contract for the work in April. In addition to construction, the contract calls for paving, landscaping, demolition, and utility work.
It’s part of a broader plan by the Canada Border Services to upgrade or replace its ports of entry. The Paterson project has been on the books since 2018, when an environmental report was commissioned. That review was updated last year and an archaeological overview was also conducted, finding the potential for disturbing artifacts as “little to none.” Worley said she has been assured that federal officials have consulted with Indigenous nations, including the Sinixt, Ktunaxa, and Syilx.
Worley said Tuesday’s meeting is to provide information on the scope and timing of the project. It takes place at the Prestige Resort from 6 to 8 p.m. and will include a representative from Canada Border Services.
