Canada permanently closes Four Falls border crossing in New Brunswick

On 11 May 2026, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced the permanent closure of the Four Falls port of entry (POE) in New Brunswick, following a six-year suspension that began in early 2020. The announcement, issued in Perth-Andover, formalises the closure that initially began as a temporary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Decision background

The Four Falls port of entry was temporarily closed on 17 May 2020 due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the CBSA, the agency extended the service suspension multiple times over the past six years, and the port has not reopened since May 2020.

The decision to close the port permanently is based on an assessment of operational pressures and service demand in the Atlantic Canada region. According to the CBSA statement, four key factors led to this decision:

• Seasonal operating model: The port only operated from mid-April to mid-October each year
• Low traffic volume: An average of approximately 8,000 travellers per season
• Proximity to alternative ports: Two other POEs are located within 15 km
• Lack of a corresponding United States port: The absence of a matching customs facility on the other side of the border makes unilateral operations inefficient

The CBSA emphasised that the closure of Four Falls also aligns Canadian operations with the United States along this section of the border, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection never reactivated its adjacent facility after 2020.

Two alternative ports of entry

Travellers crossing the Canada-United States border in the northwest New Brunswick region are advised to use two alternative ports of entry:

• Andover port of entry: 6 Route 190, Carlingford, NB — operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Gillespie Portage port of entry: 600 Route 375, California Settlement, NB — operating daily from 7am to 7pm

Both ports are located within 15 km of the former Four Falls location. The CBSA recommends that travellers consult the Directory of CBSA Offices and Services, as well as the official CBSA website for border wait times, to stay updated before travelling.

Legal and regulatory framework

Entering travellers Canada must declare themselves to the CBSA at a designated port of entry. Failure to declare may result in consequences: fines, seizure of goods, loss of membership in trusted traveller programmes, and prosecution under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act or the Customs Act.

In Canada, border security and integrity are a shared responsibility between the CBSA and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The CBSA is responsible for law enforcement at designated ports of entry, while the RCMP enforces Canadian law in the areas between ports, including the Four Falls area.

Border Plan framework

According to the CBSA, the decision aligns with Canada’s C$1.3 billion Border Plan, which focuses resources on higher-volume ports and invests in technology and law enforcement between ports. Frontline personnel and surveillance equipment will be reallocated to priority border corridors.

The CBSA affirms its continued commitment to ensuring border security and providing efficient service at all designated ports of entry, while coordinating with partners — including the RCMP — to implement Canada’s Border Plan.

The agency also urges the community to provide information regarding suspicious border activity via the toll-free Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060 or through the secure online reporting form.