The report warns that Canada's Pacific gateway has become a strategic vulnerability affecting not only public safety but also economic security, international trade and Canada's reputation as a trusted trading partner.
"British Columbia's Pacific ports are economic lifelines for Western Canada, moving exports and keeping supply chains running," said Scott McGregor, the report's author and a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. "They are also under-secured."
According to the report, responsibility for port security is divided among port authorities, the Canada Border Services Agency, the RCMP and Transport Canada, leaving no single organization accountable for protecting the entire system. Outbound cargo also receives little systematic scrutiny despite evidence that criminal organizations increasingly use Canadian ports to ship illicit drugs overseas.
The report links these weaknesses to broader consequences for Canadians.
British Columbia recorded 1,826 toxic-drug deaths in 2025, while Canada reported more than 6,100 substance-related deaths over a recent 12-month period. The report argues that weaknesses at Canada's Pacific gateway enable criminal organizations to move narcotics, precursor chemicals and illicit proceeds while increasing risks to communities across the country.
Beyond organized crime, the report says Canada's ports have become potential targets for hybrid threats, including cyberattacks, sanctions evasion, commercial espionage and other activities by hostile foreign states seeking influence over critical infrastructure and supply chains.
The report concludes that Canada's current approach relies on agencies working independently rather than as an integrated security system.
"Canada can have a Pacific trade strategy, or it can have a thin-security Pacific gateway," McGregor said. "It cannot credibly have both."
To address the problem, the report recommends creating a permanent British Columbia Port Security Joint Task Force that would integrate the CBSA, RCMP, Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard and port authorities. It also calls for expanded container inspections, mandatory outbound cargo targeting, stronger workforce vetting, enhanced cyber protections, greater oversight of inland logistics hubs and a public performance dashboard measuring port security.
The report argues these measures would reduce opportunities for organized crime while strengthening Canada's economic competitiveness and national security.
