The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Shared Services Canada (SSC) introduced a 10-point action plan aimed at addressing recurring IT outages that have disrupted Canada’s supply chains, including cross-border trucking operations.

The plan focuses on improvements in communications and engagement, crisis management, IT change management, and other operational priorities. Federal officials said the framework will remain an evergreen process, evolving as issues are identified and resolved, with the goal of stabilizing systems and reducing the frequency and duration of outages.

Details of the plan were shared during a recent multi-stakeholder roundtable with industry partners, according to a Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) news release. The session was hosted by CBSA and SSC and followed a series of IT failures in 2025, including a significant software outage last fall that caused multi-day supply chain disruptions.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree acknowledged industry frustrations during the meeting, noting that the timing and frequency of the outages were unacceptable for Canadian businesses. He said a portion of the funding allocated to CBSA in Budget 2025 will be directed toward stabilizing the agency’s IT systems.

CBSA President Erin O’Gorman emphasized the agency’s awareness of the economic impacts on the business community, underscoring the importance of moving away from legacy systems and strengthening contingency planning.

Complex challenge

SSC President Scott Jones reiterated the federal government’s commitment to resolving the issue, describing it as a complex and layered challenge that will require coordinated, multi-departmental collaboration and a range of technical and operational solutions.

“The alliance and our members appreciate the work that has already begun to address these recurring outages and recognize the complexity involved,” said Lak Shoan, CTA’s director of policy and industry awareness programs.

“While efforts to stabilize systems and reduce the frequency and duration of outages are an important step, a significant and timely commitment from the Government of Canada and the Treasury Board of Canada is urgently needed to modernize and replace legacy IT systems that can no longer keep pace with today’s trade environment.”

Federal officials said the action plan is intended to guide both near-term stabilization efforts and longer-term modernization work as CBSA and SSC continue to engage with industry stakeholders.