Pacific Highway border crossings resume after days of blocked access by pandemic protesters

Traffic is moving once again at the Pacific Highway border crossing in Surrey, B.C., according to local police and the Canada Border Services Agency.

Operations had been halted at the crossing since Saturday when protests against public health measures brought hundreds of demonstrators to the U.S. access point.

According to Surrey RCMP, officers arrested 12 people Monday night. A statement from the force says several vehicles were also removed, clearing access to the border crossing.

"Local residents and businesses in the area have been patient and supportive as we've worked toward a resolution, with public safety always remaining at the forefront," said Asst. Commissioner Brian Edwards, officer in charge of the Surrey RCMP, in a statement.

The arrests on Monday bring the total number of arrests since the weekend to 16. Four people were arrested for mischief on Sunday. 

Police say they are also investigating unlawful activity that is alleged to have occurred on Saturday, but gave no further details.

'Just a relief'

Ivy Caruana, a customs broker at Rutherford Global Logistics near the border crossing, says getting to work recently has included trying to evade crowds and being questioned by RCMP.

"It was tense, you never knew what could happen," she said about the situation in the area since Saturday. 

But on Tuesday morning, Caruana said the roads were clear.

"I didn't see anybody when i came down to work this morning," she said. "It's just a relief."

The RCMP say they are now monitoring southbound traffic at the Pacific Highway crossing to ensure drivers intend to enter the United States.

Police say the public should expect a police presence in the area to remain in the coming days as officers make ongoing assessments of the situation.

On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act, giving the federal government temporary and extraordinary powers to deal with the protests that have shut down several border crossings this month.

Trudeau also said Canadians could be reassured that the Canada Border Services Agency was turning back non-Canadians trying to enter Canada to participate in blockades at several ports of entry across the country.

The agency had already turned back several people hoping to join the B.C. protest, a spokesman said in an emailed statement.

"By exercising existing enforcement authorities, the CBSA has directed some foreign nationals back to the United States and in other cases, travellers chose to leave Canada voluntarily,'' Patrick Mahaffy said.

"Throughout the public order emergency, the mere intention to engage in unlawful demonstrations will, by itself, form a basis for the CBSA to deny entry to travellers,'' he said.