Minister Day announces that NEXUS takes off at Toronto Pearson International Airport

February 12, 2007

Toronto - The Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Stockwell Day, announced today that the NEXUS Enrolment Centre and automated self-serve kiosks are now operational at Toronto Pearson International Airport and that NEXUS will expand to six more airports across Canada. The expansion to Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax will be completed soon.

“Canada's New Government is inviting Canadians to apply to be in the NEXUS program, which serves as an alternative to a passport under the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, or WHTI, air rule,” said Minister Day. “By becoming a NEXUS member, travellers are pre-approved to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land, sea, and now by air through Toronto Pearson International Airport.”

“Members can go directly to the NEXUS self-serve kiosk and do not need to go through the primary inspection lines,” he added.

“We welcome Minister Day’s launch of NEXUS in Toronto,” said Lloyd McCoomb, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. “This automated program will streamline the movement of low-risk passenger traffic, reducing the pressure for additional Canadian and American border staff to accommodate increasing passenger volumes.”

NEXUS is designed to expedite the border clearance process for low-risk, pre-approved travellers into Canada and the United States.

The NEXUS air mode uses non-invasive iris recognition technology to identify the traveller and verify his or her membership in the program.

Canada and the United States harmonized all three NEXUS programs (Air, Land and Marine) into one in December 2006 to further improve NEXUS service to the travelling public, while maintaining safety and security.

Over 115,000 NEXUS members are now “in for one, in for all” and can cross the border using any of the three modes at participating locations.

NEXUS is also part of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America that provides a framework to advance collaboration with the United States and Mexico in areas as diverse as security, trade facilitation, transportation, the environment and public health.

NEXUS in the air mode meets the requirements of the WHTI air rule.

The WHTI is a U.S. law that came into effect on January 23, 2007, for air travel and requires all travellers, including Canadians, to carry a valid passport or other appropriate secure document when travelling to, or through, the United States.

For more information on NEXUS, please visit the NEXUS Web site at www.nexus.gc.ca or call 1-866-NEXUS-26.