Canada seeks own airport fast‑pass program

Senator Paula Simons, riding with the Canadian Airports Council, urged Ottawa to create a Canada‑only trusted‑traveller program that would fast‑track passengers through airport security as an alternative to the US. The motion, introduced last fall in the Senate, follows a 2023 report that Canadians now must travel to the United States to complete Nexus interviews. A Parliamentary Budget Office study estimates the new program would cost $7 million over five years, with an $50 application fee—roughly half the $120 US Nexus fee. With Canadian visits to the U.S. falling, the motion also cites human‑rights concerns over Nexus’s discrimination against trans and non‑binary travelers.