Canada must counter border crisis rhetoric, internal report urged – National [Video]

An internal government report warned a year ago that allowing “the trend of negative rhetoric” about the security of the Canada-U.S. border could lead to a thickening of the 49th parallel, adversely affecting trade and travel.

The report, written by a diplomat at Canada’s embassy in Washington, said that failing to refute U.S. claims about a “crisis at the northern border” would lead to the erosion of Canada’s image as a secure neighbour.

The release of the February 2024 analysis through the Access to Information Act comes as the Trump White House threatens Canada with sweeping tariffs, citing concerns about the southbound flow of migrants and illicit drugs like fentanyl.

Those threats prompted Canada to announce a $1.3-billion plan in December to improve security and monitoring of the border and deploy new drones and helicopters. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expanded that by $200 million earlier this month to target organized crime.

The report, prepared against the …