Originally published at: Canadian Disinterest Threatens Cross-Border Airport Access - AVweb
U.S. authorities need a Canadian partner to keep a unique cross-border airport access open.
Adam Penner’s embarrassment and the Canadian pilots’ frustration goes away forever if they would simply accept becoming the 51st State of the US. Just sayin’…
(Very cool setup as it is now, though - somebody step up!)
No surprise here. The arrogance and ignorance is astounding, but, not surprising.
If the situation was reversed, I can 100% see the same thing happening on our side of the border.
Couldn’t the new taxiway just be S-curved toward the existing apron? Or if there’s also some minimum straight length, then instead of curving it to the right toward a whole new apron, curve it to the left toward the existing one (maybe even expanding the existing apron size)? Both options would seem to be less expensive than paving a whole new apron.
No doubt the Canadian pilots would find this advantageous, but it requires an allocation of a non-trivial amount of funds, which means that the Canadian government (at some level) must get involved. Given the attitude and behavior of the US government leadership lately, can you blame them for being wary?
They’re taxiing from Brandon?? Man, I thought the taxi at O’Hare was bad 
The Canadians might think the US should become their next province.
Must politics invade everything?
That was my thought, too. Why is a new ramp needed? It has to be less expensive to just redo the taxiway with a 90 degree entrance to the runway.
Or, North Dakota could consider becoming the 11th province. Just saying’…
I don’t think many Americans realize how offensive calling Canadians the 51st state is to them.
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For once, just once, I would like to see everyone just stay away from political posturing over a small issue in the comments. This is about who takes responsibility for some concrete and asphalt that already exists and needs some modification for continued use, and not political pecker measuring rhetoric.
Clearly it is up to the Canadian users to convince their government to pick up the ball, No amount of coulda woulda shoulda here matters.
Or, North Dakota could consider becoming the 11th province.
Well, we might consider a trade just for British Columbia . . .
So, the FEDs require a 90 degree intersection with a runway. I suppose that’s so an aircraft planning to take off can get a good look up the final approach. Rather than an S-turning taxiway, how about a perpendicular taxiway of the required length from the runway and then a turn to the existing ramp?
I didn’t hear any mention of customs at the border crossing. Can someone address that or are comments limited to politics?
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Well, if Canadians would unanimously want North Dakota from us, who am I to stand in the way. 
No matter who thinks they own what or what triggers hurt feelings (good grief) this seeming indifference from Canadian authorities to the freedom of their pilots is sad.
They can’t even come up with the funds to lay down - as others have suggested - a little curved or straight cement from the border to connect with their present apron.
As Mr. Penner lamented, "I’m a bit embarrassed…“The Americans can resurface the entire runway, and we can’t even get our act together on a little ramp.”
C’mon people, get this done. Some Americans might be miffed at this triviality toward our northern friends. At the least, I suppose since you’re squawking about a little cement, you won’t be able to afford building a border wall to keep your pilots in, right? 
Pooch, if you want to rent a dozer and realign the entry to your own grass strip, you’re free to do so. Unless that might affect your neighbor’s use/enjoyment of their property, or cause them harm (e.g. runoff, noise) at which point your local government will get involved and “politics” are now involved.
Well, the Canadians would need to hold a plebiscite, a vote, to make this decision; and in all fairness, with 80 to 90 million Canadians, it would take two states, probably east and west to give Canada the representation it deserves. It will probably take at least 10 years to see that the Canadians need to be North Americans; for the tariff costs to hit home. Knowing they will live better as North Americans. I doubt we will ever be able to call the Canadians Americans; only North American will like work for them. Growing up and living near the Canadian border; in the past, I have considered myself 49% Canadian or 49% North American. I have tried to keep close track of Canadian thinking and was more surprised by President Trumps suggestion, probably like most Canadians. It will take a while for this consideration to sink in.
I don’t know which Canada you are referring to, but the one involved in this airport has less than 42 million Canadians (source: StatCan, 2025-04-01).
6/19/2025
Mr. DeLaHunt,
42 million Canadian citizens?, but like the US has a large illegal immigrant
population; much bigger than the US’s illegal immigrant population; maybe
as high as 30 million illegals. The Canadian government will
never admit how big the illegal population is there.
It appears to me you are playing numbers games with me and manipulating
statistics. But, I will not make a separate check.
Terry Welander