Canada’s new fentanyl czar kicks off role at Lansdowne crossing, highlighting cross-border cooperation

Canada’s new “fentanyl czar,” Kevin Brosseau, spent his first day on the job at the Canada/U.S. border crossing at Lansdowne.

He was joined by the Honourable David McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety, as well as members of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The dignitaries were given a tour of the crossing, including detector dog and secondary vehicle demonstrations. An RCMP Black Hawk helicopter that will be used to monitor the border also made an appearance.

“We’ve had the opportunity to see first-hand the level of integration between our Canadian border services and the RCMP, and other forces on the ground like the OPP,” McGuinty told reporters at the conclusion of the tour, remarking that they’ve also learned more about “how we cooperate with our American counterparts.”

Brosseau said it was important to spend his first day on the job at a working port, meeting people on the ground who are actually doing the work.

“I’ve met many RCMP and CBSA officers, and [integration and cooperation] will be a fundamental part of my job moving forward. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work.”

When asked why the title of “czar” was chosen for the role, McGuinty said “the focus here is on demonstrating the level of seriousness that we’re now putting forward through Kevin’s appointment to reconcile all of these different factors that are at play.”

He said that the scourge of fentanyl “is not just a Canadian challenge. This is a Canadian and American challenge. We are connected at the hip. This is part and parcel of the relationship that we’ve managed well for 150 yeas. We have an obligation to continue to make that work.”

There’s a reason, McGuinty continued, why the Canada/U.S. border is the longest undefended border in the world. “We intend to keep it that way.”

Every day, 400,000 people a day cross the U.S./Canada border, along with $3.25 billion per day in trade.

“There is a way to find our way forward here,” the minister said. “I think the administration knows this. It’s going to take cool heads and a disciplined approach. I think the work that our new fentanyl czar is going to be performing is going to help placate any concerns. It’s going to show the level of cooperation we already have between our countries.”

Photos of the CBSA tour and demonstration by Cris Vilela

When asked about what tangible goals he hopes to achieve in the short and medium term, Brosseau said “it’s day one, but stay tuned. I hope to be able to demonstrate and show the tangibility of that work.”

He said he’s hoping to “give an intensity to the work being carried out by thousands of men and women in this country and the United States, trying to deal with the real public safety and national security crisis that is fentanyl.” A big part of this will be “bringing the teams together” and “ensuring collaboration and communication is happening at official level on both sides of the border and communities across the country.”

When asked about the seemingly relatively small amount of fentanyl that crosses the Canada-U.S. border (in 2024, it was about five kilograms for the whole year, according to the CBSA), Brosseau said “getting the number to zero is in fact a goal and should be our goal. If it’s one pound or 10 pounds, we all know the amount of deaths that could possibly represent. This is a national security and a public safety crisis. We should be focused on eliminating the scourge that is fentanyl in this country and in the United States.”

McGuinty also remarked on U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeatedly stated opinion that Canada should join his country and become the 51st state.

“I think Canadians will want to be quite clear about this,” he said. “Canada is an independent and sovereign country, and it has been for 150+ years. It will remain so. That’s just not up for discussion. So we’re moving forward now to remind ourselves, remind our American colleagues and neighbours there’s a lot at stake here. There’s a win-win scenario. There’s a pathway for us to find our way forward. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

By the numbers

According to information provided by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), its agents in Ontario seized approximately 530 firearms and 7,300 prohibited weapons in 2024. In addition, they seized approximately 32,200 kilograms of drugs, including 2,200 kilograms of cocaine and 200 grams of fentanyl. In addition, Ontario agents seized 24 litres of liquid drugs.

Across Canada, the CBSA seized about 930 firearms and 17,200 prohibited weapons in 2024, along with 56,600 kilograms of drugs (4,600 kilograms of cocaine, five kilograms of fentanly and 1,300 litres of liquid drugs).

In terms of cross-border traffic, the CBSA on Ontario welcomed about 46 million travellers, about 3.7 million of which were truck drivers. Across Canada, about 93 million travellers came across the border, including almost six million truck drivers.

About 6,300 asylum claimants were processed at the land border in 2024 in Ontario, and 15,400 across Canada.