How an alleged Russian plot suddenly upended Canada’s air cargo rules [Video]

The Labour Day long weekend was anything but restful for Bruce Rodgers.

His phone started buzzing on the Friday night and didn’t stop, with dozens of emails and calls all asking the same thing: Why had air cargo imports to Canada suddenly ground to a halt?

As executive director of the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA) — the industry body for the national network of cargo handlers — Rodgers is used to dealing with the fallout from labour disruptions, accidents or even natural disasters. But not mysteries.

“We knew absolutely nothing. We were not aware of what transpired,” he said. “Freight just wasn’t moving.”

Rodgers and his colleagues …