Turner–Climax Border Crossing

The Turner-Climax Border Crossing connects the towns of Turner, Montana and Climax, Saskatchewan on the Canada–US border. This facility is one of only six joint US-Canada border stations where U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) share a single facility. The rationale for making this facility a joint border station was primarily for officer safety, since the border stations on both sides of the border were often staffed by only one officer at a time.[1]

Turner–Climax Border Border Crossing
Joint US-Canada Joint Border Crossing Station
Location
CountryUnited States; Canada
Location
  • S-241 / Hwy 37
  • US Port: 41725 Turner Road, Turner, MT 59542
  • Canadian Port: Highway 37, Climax SK S0N 0N0
Coordinates48.999526°N 108.389147°W / 48.999526; -108.389147
Details
Opened1927
US Phone(406) 379-2651
Canadian Phone(306) 293-2262
HoursOpen 8:00AM - 9:00PM (summer), 9:00AM - 6:00PM (winter)
Website
http://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports/turner-mt

Construction on the joint facility was completed in 1992. It is reached from the south via Montana State Highway 241 (MT 241) and from the north via Saskatchewan Highway 37 (SK 37). Along SK 37, the village of Climax lies 24 km (15 mi) north of the Port with the town of Shaunavon an additional 50 km (31 mi) beyond. The unincorporated community of Turner lies 10 mi (16 km) south on MT 241.

The Canadian side is called "Port of Climax", and on the American side is the "Port of Turner". There have been efforts by local residents to expand the operating hours of the crossing to 24/7, but overnight service has never been offered by either government.[2] The city of Havre is only a short drive from the Port. SK 37 offers a north–south route to connect with Trans-Canada Highway Route 1 at Gull Lake. The RED Coat Trail Highway 13 at Shaunavon commemorates the role of the North-West Mounted Police in settling the Canadian West.

The crossing is so remote that border officials live in government housing next to the station.[3] Some local residents have made efforts to make this crossing a 24-hour facility, in hopes of attracting commercial traffic.[2] On March 16, 2009, the Montana State Legislature passed a joint resolution urging CBP to open the Turner port of entry to commercial traffic 24 hours per day.[4] To date, the port continues to have daytime-only operations in both directions.

History

The Canadian port of Entry was established in the village of Climax in 1927. The first Customs officer was Duncan McIntosh, a Scottish immigrant who had established the West Poplar River port of entry in 1918. In 1936, the US and Canada both moved their Customs offices to the border. The Canada border station was sometimes called "Treelon" in its early days, named for the local Canadian border town which has essentially disappeared.[5]

See also

References
  1. "More on Joint Canada-U.S. Border Crossings".
  2. Kidston, Martin (2008-08-05). "24-hour port priority". The Independent Record.
  3. "Chapter 5: The 49th Parallel". United Divide: A Linear Portrait of the USA/Canada Border. The Center for Land Use Interpretation. Winter 2015.
  4. "A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA URGING 24-HOUR COMMERCIAL SERVICE AT THE PORT OF ENTRY-TURNER".
  5. Prairie wool : A History of Climax and Surrounding School Districts. Climax, Saskatchewan, Canada: The Stone Diggers Historical Society. 1980. pp. 313–314. ISBN 0-88925-160-6.


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