While Jay Anderson and Alan VanVoast don't mind taking the brunt of a joke or two in this town of 199 people, their self-deprecating humor ends quickly. The two farmers have tackled the task of persuading U.S. Customs and Border Protection to turn its new port of entry at Turner into a commercial trucking facility open around the clock.
While the low number of crossings may not help their chances of success, and while they find themselves competing with other communities bidding for a 24-hour port of their own, the two well-spoken men have earned the backing of municipal leaders from Harlem to Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, and the newly formed Sask-Mont Rural Development Group.
But others have warned that security can't take place at the expense of the nation's economy. Those on both sides of the rural Montana border are urging policymakers not to lose sight of cross-border trade and its importance to both the U.S. and Canadian economies.
Here in Turner, creating a new trucking line that links areas of the beleaguered Hi-Line to the booming oil, gas and manufacturing industries in Saskatchewan could have positive economic implications throughout the rural region. A 24-hour port, they add, would only create tighter security, since it would be staffed around the clock.
“If there was 24-hour traffic through this particular port, these small towns would benefit greatly, just from people stopping to eat or buying fuel, or giving them more hours to buy their farm supplies,” Anderson said. “I was on the phone with several trucking firms out of Saskatoon and Moose Jaw. If this port was open 24 hours, it would become the port of their choice.”
The Port of Turner currently operates on a seasonal schedule, opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 9 p.m. in the summer, and closing at 6 p.m. in the winter. The closest 24-hour port into Saskatchewan sits a daunting 324 miles east at Raymond, an arduous drive during any season, but especially perilous when the snow flies.
Up here, farmers jump off their tractors to chat with strangers. The tea is served cold and the fields, when the rain comes, create a sea of green, buckled land visible in all directions.
“Up in our area, it's strictly farming,” VanVoast said. “There's not a lot of potential for agricultural growth. There's no more land. So we're looking for ways to give this little town a boost and we think, logically, it's a good spot for a 24-hour port, given the closeness of the two major highways.”
“I really think the key is taking a look at the commercial side of this,” said David Anderson, a member of Canadian Parliament representing the Cypress Hills Grasslands district. “It's the closest route from Saskatoon to California. There's a good reason why this should be given a serious look. I think having the commercial port and expanded hours would obviously increase the traffic here.”
Anderson admits the world changed after Sept. 11. He acknowledges the need for continued security and vigilance at the border. He also points out, however, that the Saskatchewan economy is booming around energy production.
According to the Canadian Consulate General's office in Denver, Canada supplies the U.S. with 85 percent of its natural gas imports, 96 percent of its electricity imports, and
16 percent of its oil imports, with more than 2 million barrels a day coming south.
The numbers are expected to grow in the coming years as energy production in Alberta and Saskatchewan increase. Alternative fuels are also expected to come online, with shipments increasing south across the Montana border.
For those who support a 24-hour port at Turner, the idea seems an easy one to make - just keep the facility open longer.
For Customs and Border Protection, however, it's a question not of want but rather one of traffic counts, funding and resources, which are limited. The agency is looking for hard numbers, which it says don't currently warrant a multimillion-dollar investment to create a 24-hour port, regardless of the benefits it might have on surrounding communities.
“You may see increased tourist traffic coming to the U.S. from Canada to take advantage of the stronger dollar,” said Larry Overcast, a 20-year veteran with CBP. “But even though we're a large agency, we have a finite number of resources. We have to deal with our border crossings like any other business.”
Overcast noted a push by other trade groups across Montana's northern tier, as well as southern Canada, for a 24-hour port of their own.
Those in Morgan, about 30 miles east of Turner, believe they sit in the best position to serve the region, offering east-west access on U.S. Highway 2 and a direct north-south route between Swift Current and Billings.
Just north of Havre, backers there would also like to see the Port of Wild Horse open around the clock. Like the others, the port offers access to Highway 2 and connects Great Falls and Medicine Hat, Alberta. Of the three competing ports, Wild Horse may have the numerical advantage.
Members of the Sask-Mont Rural Development Group are accustomed to occasional setbacks. Farming isn't getting any easier and the population, at least in this slice of the continent, has slowly declined in recent years, reaching what one Harlem City Council member called an “irreducible minimum.”
Harlem and Climax, Saskatchewan, located 20 miles north of the border, could be twin cities. Green fields surround the two communities, giving travelers a sense of agricultural prosperity.
But look closer and visitors will see more shuttered storefronts than welcome signs. The attitudes among locals are friendly and hopeful, even if the communities appear beaten down and on the verge of disappearing.
“I remember Harlem being a bustling place, full of energy and life, and full of commerce,” said Harlem City Council member Sondra Ashton, who grew up on the Hi-Line. “Saturday night in Harlem was an exciting day. Today, Saturday in Harlem is rather dead.
“But if we had a 24-hour port, I think we could not only make it better, but also grow it just a little, and a little is a good thing.”
Editor's note
This is the third part in a three-day series on recent changes in manpower, technology and commerce along Montana's northern border.
Sunday: Increased staffing has enabled better patrol, but is it at the cost of local police forces?
Monday: Technological advances could play a key role in better securing the northern border.
Today: Tighter security could hinder vital cross-border U.S. Canadian commerce.
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