CBSA Records Track COVID-19 Infection Rates Among Thousands of Border Staff

Government Files is The Canada Report’s public-records analysis series examining government documents obtained through Canada’s Access to Information (ATI) and provincial Freedom of Information (FOI) laws. These transparency laws allow members of the public to request internal government records from federal and provincial institutions. This article reviews documents released through those processes and summarizes what the records contain and what they show. While we strive for accuracy, this article represents an analysis and interpretation of the source material. For complete accuracy and full context, readers should review the original documents, which are available in full below.

Full Document

The complete document is available for download below:

Documents from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) provide a granular look at how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the federal workforce responsible for managing Canada's borders. The records, which span from the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 through July 2022, catalogue thousands of confirmed cases among staff, offering a timeline that mirrors the country's struggle with successive waves of the virus.

The data provides specific insight into which ports of entry were hit hardest, the classification of frontline officers versus headquarters staff, and how the agency determined whether infections were work-related.

What the Documents Show

The release consists of a comprehensive log tracking individual COVID-19 cases within the CBSA. The dataset includes the date reported, the specific region and location (such as specific airports or land borders), whether the employee was a frontline officer, and the agency’s determination on whether the infection was "potentially work-related."

The records cover a vast geographic footprint, from major hubs like Toronto Pearson International Airport (GTA Region) and the Ambassador Bridge (Southern Ontario Region) to smaller, remote outposts like Beaver Creek in the Pacific Region.

The data captures the status of employees, tracking dates of test results, last days in the workplace, and their eventual return to work (RTW). The logs show a shift in terminology and tracking intensity as the pandemic evolved from the initial uncertainty of 2020 to the rapid-spread variants of 2021 and 2022.

Key Findings: The Omicron Surge

The most striking trend visible in the data is the exponential growth of cases during the winter of 2021-2022.

• The Early Waves: Throughout 2020 and early 2021, cases appeared as a steady stream. For example, in March 2020, cases were reported in single digits daily, primarily at major international airports like Pearson and Montreal-Trudeau.
• The 2022 Explosion: In December 2021 and January 2022, coincident with the emergence of the Omicron variant, the logs explode in volume. On single days in late December 2021 and early January 2022, dozens of new cases were reported daily across the country.
• Location Hotspots: Unsurprisingly, the highest volume of cases correlates with the busiest ports of entry. Toronto Pearson International Airport (Terminal 1 and 3), the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, and the Pacific Highway crossing in British Columbia appear repeatedly throughout the dataset.

Analysis: Workplace Transmission vs. Community Spread

A critical component of the data is the column labeled "Potentially Work Related?"

Throughout the majority of the pandemic, the CBSA classified the vast majority of employee infections as "No / Non." This indicates that, from the agency's administrative perspective, most employees likely contracted the virus through community transmission rather than interactions with travelers or colleagues.

However, there are notable exceptions. In the early days of the pandemic (March and April 2020), several cases at locations like the 1010 St-Antoine Ouest office in Montreal and the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge were explicitly flagged as "Yes / Oui" for potential work-relatedness. As the pandemic progressed, "Yes" designations became rarer, even as case counts climbed into the thousands.

This distinction is significant for labor relations and worker compensation, suggesting a high bar was set for proving an infection was acquired on the job during widespread community outbreaks.

Operational Strain

While the documents do not contain internal memos regarding staffing shortages, the raw data implies significant operational strain.

For example, between December 20, 2021, and January 10, 2022, hundreds of employees were listed as having tested positive or entering self-isolation. In specific units, such as the Commercial Operations at the Ambassador Bridge or Traffic Operations at Vancouver International Airport, multiple staff members tested positive within the same 48-hour window. This clustering suggests that specific shifts or units faced localized outbreaks that likely complicated the agency's ability to maintain standard processing times.

Frontline vs. Support Staff

The records confirm that the virus did not discriminate based on role, though frontline officers are heavily represented. The "Front Line Officer?" column frequently reads "Yes / Oui," particularly during the surges at land borders and airports. However, headquarters staff in Ottawa (Vanier Towers, 191 Laurier) and remote workers also appear frequently in the logs, particularly during the Omicron wave, indicating that administrative functions were also disrupted.

What’s Not in the Documents

While the access to information request summary mentions a request for records regarding employees who passed away, the provided CSV log focuses heavily on case management and return-to-work dates. The "Recovered?" column predominantly lists "Yes / Oui." The dataset provided does not explicitly list fatalities in a distinct statistical table, or these records were withheld for privacy due to the low numbers usually involved in such sensitive data.

Furthermore, the dataset does not include vaccination status for the employees, making it impossible to correlate infection rates in 2021 and 2022 with vaccine uptake among the workforce.

Implications

These records serve as a historical ledger of the operational risks faced by border services personnel. They highlight the vulnerability of critical infrastructure workforce during public health crises.

The heavy reliance on the "Not Work Related" classification for infections may raise questions regarding how essential workers are supported when facing invisible threats. As the CBSA continues to modernize border procedures, this data underlines the necessity of robust health protocols to protect the human infrastructure that keeps the border functioning.

All information and figures referenced are from the Canada Border Services Agency, request number ZA-2024-03492, obtained through ATI requests. The records contain COVID-19 case count updates, graphs, and analysis from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022.