If you've crossed the Canada–U.S. border at the Four Falls, New Brunswick port of entry in the past, that option is now formally off the table. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced on May 11, 2026 that it is permanently closing the Four Falls POE — confirming a status quo that has been in place since the crossing was first shut on May 17, 2020 as a temporary COVID-19 measure.
The crossing hasn't reopened in six years, but it remained listed as "temporarily closed" until this month. The May 11 announcement officially removes Four Falls from the CBSA's list of operational ports of entry.
What's changing
Nothing on the ground, in practical terms. The Four Falls crossing was a seasonal POE, open only mid-April to mid-October, and handled about 8,000 travellers per season at its busiest. Anyone planning a 2026 border crossing in northwestern New Brunswick has already had to use one of the alternates for six straight summers.
What the announcement does change is the formal status. The CBSA is signaling that the crossing is not coming back. No future investment, no reopening review, no seasonal staffing.
The two alternates
Both POEs sit within 15 km of the closed Four Falls crossing. If you've been routing your trips through Four Falls, route them through one of these instead.
| Port of entry | Location | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Andover | 6 Route 190, Carlingford, NB | 24/7 |
| Gillespie Portage | 600 Route 375, California Settlement, NB | Daily, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. |
Andover is the safer default for anyone driving overnight or in winter — it's open 24/7 and is the main commercial-grade crossing on this stretch. Gillespie Portage is fine for daytime travel but closes at 7 p.m. local time and has no overnight presence.
Wait times for both crossings, plus all other Canadian POEs, are published on the CBSA Border Wait Times page. Hours and contact information are in the CBSA Directory of Offices.
Why the CBSA shut Four Falls down
The closure is operational, not political. The CBSA listed four reasons, and the math on each one is hard to argue with.
Seasonal-only operations. Four Falls only ran mid-April to mid-October. Six months of the year, it was already closed.
Low traffic. About 8,000 travellers per season — less than 45 a day during operating hours. That's well below the threshold the CBSA uses to justify staffed crossings, especially seasonal ones that require setup and teardown costs each spring and fall.
Nearby alternates. With Andover and Gillespie Portage both within 15 km, the rerouting cost to travellers is small. Most of the displaced traffic likely takes Andover already.
No U.S. counterpart. This is the quiet driver. There is no U.S. port of entry directly opposite Four Falls. U.S. Customs and Border Protection consolidated its operations on this stretch years ago, which made the Canadian-side Four Falls crossing a one-way station — Canadians could leave through it, but anyone returning had to come back through a different crossing anyway.
What this means if you're a U.S. or Canadian traveller
If you live in northwestern New Brunswick or northern Maine, your nearest alternate is now Andover for any time-sensitive trip and Gillespie Portage if you're crossing during daylight. Add 10–15 minutes of driving to your usual route. That's it.
If you're driving cross-border this summer, double-check your GPS or paper route. Older navigation systems and offline map exports may still show Four Falls as an option. Some U.S.-side route planners route trips through "the closest land crossing" and may suggest Four Falls without flagging it as closed.
If you have a NEXUS or Trusted Traveler enrollment, your card still works at Andover and Gillespie Portage just like it did at Four Falls. Both alternates accept NEXUS lanes during business hours. There's no need to re-apply or change anything.
If you have a criminal record — even a minor one, know that the CBSA can refuse you entry at any port. A DUI, a possession charge, or any conviction that would be an indictable offence under Canadian law can make you inadmissible. The CBSA has been enforcing this strictly for major events like the Canadian Grand Prix and summer festivals. The closure of Four Falls doesn't change the rule — but it does mean you're more likely to encounter a longer, busier line at Andover where officers have more time and tooling to flag inadmissible travellers.
The bigger picture: CBSA is consolidating
Four Falls is part of a wider quiet consolidation of small and seasonal Canadian land crossings. Since 2020, the CBSA has closed or permanently downgraded several low-traffic POEs across Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and the Prairies — mostly seasonal stations that handled fewer than 10,000 travellers a year and that had no opposite-side U.S. counterpart.
The trend matches what CBP is doing on the U.S. side. Both agencies have pushed traffic toward larger, 24/7, fully staffed crossings with consistent infrastructure. The trade-off for travellers in remote border areas is longer drives to fewer, busier checkpoints — but with more reliable hours, faster processing, and consistent staffing year-round.
If you're going to be a regular cross-border traveller in this corridor — especially for commercial freight or a daily commute — consider applying for NEXUS (CAD $50, five years). Wait times at Andover for general traffic can climb to 30+ minutes during peak summer weekends now that displaced Four Falls volume is routing through. NEXUS lanes at Andover routinely process in under five minutes. The application is online, and once you're approved, the card works at every Canadian and most U.S. land crossings.
Related reading
A criminal record could derail your trip to Canada | CBSA Border Wait Times | Working Holiday Visa Canada | First 90 Days in Canada Checklist