Media Room
Speeches
Minister Brison speech
Halifax International Airport
December 17, 2004
Thank you Bernie.
Good afternoon to everyone, including my parliamentary colleague
Mike Savage.
I am delighted to be here today to officially announce that Halifax
International Airport…my home airport…will soon be getting
preclearance to the United States.
I'd like to congratulate and thank everyone here today who worked
hard on achieving this for at least the past year.
I'm here on behalf of the Foreign minister, Pierre Pettigrew, and
the minister of Transport, Jean Lapierre.
I also played a small part in my previous job as parliamentary
secretary to the Prime Minister for Canada-U.S. relations.
And I'd also like to recognize the hard work of deputy prime minister,
Anne McLellan and the U.S. Secretary of homeland security,
Tom Ridge. The two met this morning and confirmed that the
United States has agreed to have a preclearance facility here, at
the Halifax airport.
It's a well-deserved addition to this dynamic international facility.
After all, Halifax airport has become known around the world for
the calm, confident and compassionate way it handled the unexpected
arrivals of scores of international flights in the wake of the terrorist
attacks of September 11.
Even the President of the United States, George W. Bush, recently
chose to visit Halifax to thank the city for its kindness in handling
stranded passengers. I know the preclearance option was not in place
when Air Force One was here but soon travelers to the United States
will be able to benefit from this initiative.
The Halifax International Airport is Atlantic Canada's gateway
to the world, and a key economic and employment generator for Nova
Scotia. And today's announcement will in essence help the Halifax
airport take flight and face the horizon as an even bigger player.
Let there be no doubt.
Pre-clearance will pay big dividends for business people and tourists
from Atlantic Canada by facilitating travel to the United States.
Certainly, it's a big win for both countries. And it demonstrates
the continuing and expanding co-operation on air services between
Canada and our friend, the United States.
For a start, it will be a great convenience for hundreds of thousands
of passengers to each year be precleared by U.S. officers for the
purposes of customs, immigration, public health, food inspection
and plant and animal health.
The pre-clearance BEFORE flights depart from Halifax will enable
passengers to be treated as DOMESTIC passengers when they arrive
in United States…thereby avoiding delays at congested international
gates and making it easier and quicker to connect to other American
destinations.
From the U.S. point of view, pre-clearance enhances its security
because travelers and their goods are first cleared at the departure
airports in Canada instead of on arrival in the United States.
Of course, above all it will help strengthen our crucial business
and trade relationships…as well as build on the special kinship
Atlantic Canadians have always felt towards our neighbour to the
south…especially to New England.
Halifax will be joining other Canadian cities already offering
preclearance…Each year about 10 million passengers are precleared
by U.S. officers in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto,
Ottawa and Montreal.
Congratulations Halifax!
I know it's still going to take 18 months to complete the new preclearance
facility here. But soon you will take off to an even brighter tomorrow.
This marks a positive move for Atlantic Canada, for travelers,
for business, for the airlines that serve the Canada-U.S. market
and of course for our relationship with our largest trading partner,
the United States.
Thank you.
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