A Canada-run alternative to Nexus? Senator calls for new airport security fast-pass

With Canadian travel to the United States in decline, one Alberta senator says it's time for Ottawa to consider a Canadian-specific program that would allow travellers to quickly pass through airport security lines.

Sen. Paula Simons introduced a motion in the upper chamber last fall that, if passed, would call on the federal government to implement a trusted traveller program.

"It is unusual for a country to contract out its airport security fast-pass system to a different sovereign nation. We've just sort of been piggybacking on the Nexus process using it as a proxy," she told CBC News in an interview.

Some Canadian airports have separate security lines that certain "verified travellers" are allowed to access for a quicker clearance. Such verified travellers have undergone extensive background checks and therefore don't have to undergo the same security scrutiny as most travellers.

Members of the armed forces, RCMP and some local police officers are considered verified travellers. But under the current system, the only way for a member of the general public to become a verified traveller is through the Nexus program, which is run jointly with the U.S.

In order to become a Nexus member, Canadians must complete an interview with both Canadian and American border agents. But since 2023, Canadians have had to travel to the U.S. to complete the interview process — interviews had been conducted jointly in Canada prior to the pandemic.

The program that Simons is proposing wouldn't include some of the Nexus perks, which allows members to pass through U.S. customs quickly. But she said it makes sense for Canada to have its own verified traveller program that isn't reliant on the U.S.

"You might still want a Nexus card. But for Canadians who are not interested in traveling to the United States or have stopped traveling to the United States as much as they did in the past, it would be an option," she said.

The Parliamentary Budget Office released a report last week that estimates Simons' proposed program would cost taxpayers $7 million over five years once costs and application fees are factored.

That report estimates the application fee would sit around $50 per person. But Simons argued that the program could break even with a slightly higher fee and pointed out that the Nexus application costs $120 US.

The U.S. has its own verified traveller program, called TSA PreCheck, that is separate from Nexus.

Simons' proposal has the backing of the Canadian Airports Council.

"Airports have recommended that enrolment eligibility be expanded to fully optimize screening lines. We would like the Verified Traveller Program to operate as a true domestic trusted traveller program, that is owned and controlled by Canada," Monette Pasher, the council's president, said in a statement.

"We want more Canadians to be able to apply to benefit from faster screening and Canadian border entry without having to apply through the Nexus program."