Border committee looks to promote, expand hours

The Wild Horse Border Committee Tuesday looked at ways to promote expanded hours at the Port of Wild Horse north of Havre, including one member's suggestion that the committee look at ways to get a bigger expansion of the trial hours.

"How about pushing for a 24-hour test? " committee member Debbie Vandeberg, executive director of the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce, asked at the beginning of the meeting.

The committee, formed early in the decade by residents and political leaders of the Havre area and Alberta, has been working to have Wild Horse, a port of entry between Montana and Alberta north of Havre, upgraded to a 24-hour commercial port.

The port now operates part of the day, 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. in the winter and with 8 a. m. to 9 p. m. summer hours, on a permit-only basis. Companies must receive a permit before they may transport commercial goods through the port.

During a meeting in Havre in September, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced that the summer hours would be expanded three extra months in 2011 in a trial period. She added that her department would be willing to consider a trial 24-hour-a-day expansion, if the proponents could show a workable plan.

The expansion this year was through Oct. 31, rather than the normal ending of summer hours on Sept. 30. Despite the Canadian border service not matching the summer hour expansion this fall, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a significant increase in commercial traffic — 215 trucks this October versus 125 in October 2009.

The Canadian Border Services Agency later said it would mirror the expanded U. S. hours next year.

Committee member Alan Hyland of Bow Island, Alberta, said he was at the meeting in November when that issue was discussed. He added that the CBSA official said it would be easier to schedule workers for 24-hour service than it is to schedule expanded summer hours.

Ross Lyle, CBP assistant area port director in Great Falls, said the major issue there is having set hours so the agencies know how many agents they need in the area to provide the staffing.

The committee Tuesday also discussed what would be done to promote the expanded summer hours next year.

Vandeberg said the Chamber already is planning an advertising campaign, including during this month, to promote Canadians visiting Havre. All of the advertisements will include the hours at the port, and future advertisements after the port switches to the summer schedule March 1 will include those hours.

The committee members also discussed setting out a media blitz to let companies know the hours will be expanded.

Paul Tuss suggested the committee talk to the Montana Department of Transportation to see if MDT would issue an official media release stating the hours have been expanded.

Lynn Shozda, public liaison officer for CBP, said her department has compiled a list of trucking companies, both in Montana and Alberta and on the national levels, and would forward that to the committee members to use in their promotion of the expanded hours.

Vandeberg said she also would be sending the information to businesses and chambers of commerce in Montana and Alberta.

She said promotions also are being developed to attract Canadians to the area. The advertisements for Boxing Day, a Canadian holiday the day after Christmas, will include special deals being offered by the local hotels that are part of the tourism business improvement district formed this year.

The Wild Horse Border Committee also revisited wether to endorse an upgrade for the Turner port. See page A5 for the full story.

The Wild Horse Border Committee Tuesday looked at ways to promote expanded hours at the Port of Wild Horse north of Havre, including one member's suggestion that the committee look at ways to get a bigger expansion of the trial hours.

"How about pushing for a 24-hour test? " committee member Debbie Vandeberg, executive director of the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce, asked at the beginning of the meeting.

The committee, formed early in the decade by residents and political leaders of the Havre area and Alberta, has been working to have Wild Horse, a port of entry between Montana and Alberta north of Havre, upgraded to a 24-hour commercial port.

The port now operates part of the day, 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. in the winter and with 8 a. m. to 9 p. m. summer hours, on a permit-only basis. Companies must receive a permit before they may transport commercial goods through the port.

During a meeting in Havre in September, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced that the summer hours would be expanded three extra months in 2011 in a trial period. She added that her department would be willing to consider a trial 24-hour-a-day expansion, if the proponents could show a workable plan.

The expansion this year was through Oct. 31, rather than the normal ending of summer hours on Sept. 30. Despite the Canadian border service not matching the summer hour expansion this fall, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a significant increase in commercial traffic — 215 trucks this October versus 125 in October 2009.

The Canadian Border Services Agency later said it would mirror the expanded U. S. hours next year.

Committee member Alan Hyland of Bow Island, Alberta, said he was at the meeting in November when that issue was discussed. He added that the CBSA official said it would be easier to schedule workers for 24-hour service than it is to schedule expanded summer hours.

Ross Lyle, CBP assistant area port director in Great Falls, said the major issue there is having set hours so the agencies know how many agents they need in the area to provide the staffing.

The committee Tuesday also discussed what would be done to promote the expanded summer hours next year.

Vandeberg said the Chamber already is planning an advertising campaign, including during this month, to promote Canadians visiting Havre. All of the advertisements will include the hours at the port, and future advertisements after the port switches to the summer schedule March 1 will include those hours.

The committee members also discussed setting out a media blitz to let companies know the hours will be expanded.

Paul Tuss suggested the committee talk to the Montana Department of Transportation to see if MDT would issue an official media release stating the hours have been expanded.

Lynn Shozda, public liaison officer for CBP, said her department has compiled a list of trucking companies, both in Montana and Alberta and on the national levels, and would forward that to the committee members to use in their promotion of the expanded hours.

Vandeberg said she also would be sending the information to businesses and chambers of commerce in Montana and Alberta.

She said promotions also are being developed to attract Canadians to the area. The advertisements for Boxing Day, a Canadian holiday the day after Christmas, will include special deals being offered by the local hotels that are part of the tourism business improvement district formed this year.

The Wild Horse Border Committee also revisited wether to endorse an upgrade for the Turner port. See page A5 for the full story.