Along the Canada-U.S. border runs a remote stretch of road that some County of Warner residents in southern Alberta have used freely for decades.

There's just one problem. It's on the American side of the border.

Canadians have long relied on Border Road, even though it's in Montana, because it intersects with so many Alberta roads. For decades, the county had an agreement with nearby Toole County, Mont., where their American counterparts would supply the gravel and Warner maintained the road, reflecting the deep interconnection between the two counties.

Residents have long been able to use the road without the need to pass through an official border crossing, even during times when the U.S. previously sought to strengthen its border security.

But beginning next July, Canadians will be restricted from using Border Road without first passing through an official border crossing. After months of rumours that this change to his county's daily life could be on the way, Warner's Reeve Randy Taylor said the timeline to shut down Canadian access to the road was confirmed in a meeting with U.S. Homeland Security last week.

"Nobody likes change, but I think it has been coming for a long time," said Taylor.

"It's unfortunate, but it's going to happen."

In its place, the county is planning to build a new gravel road on the Canadian side of the border. 

Border security efforts

Alberta RCMP previously worked closely with American agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, to secure the area, which had a high concentration of border-monitoring technology. But the new restriction on Border Road is tied to increased efforts by the Canadian and U.S. federal governments to bolster border security.

In December, Alberta unveiled a $29-million border security plan. As part of that plan, it introduced the Interdiction Patrol Team, under command of the Alberta Sheriffs, equipped with the power to make arrests without a warrant in a two-kilometre "red zone" located north of the Montana border. 

WATCH | From March 2025: How border residents feel about new security measures: 

Life along the fence: How Alberta-Montana border residents feel about new security measures

The RCMP also ramped up its border security, including increased Black Hawk helicopter patrols along Alberta's border.

U.S. President Donald Trump has continually linked his plan to impose tariffs on Canada to a purported flood of the smuggling of the synthetic opioid fentanyl from Canada into the United States. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows seizures of fentanyl from Canada total less than one per cent of total U.S. seizures of the drug. Specifically in the Havre sector in Montana, officials have so far seized a little more than 0.5 pounds of fentanyl in fiscal year 2025.

Darcy Wills, who runs a cattle ranch in the County of Warner alongside the border, said the road has long served an important purpose for those who live in the area.

"On the Canadian side, people access the road for their day-to-day activities. Whether it be farming activities or going to town, they use that road, and it's been a perfectly acceptable way of doing business," Wills said.

"But now, they've got this plan to force the Canadians to build a road on the north side of the actual border. And it's just an extra cost, duplication of services.

"You'll have two roads, side by side."

When it comes to the idea that the move is being made for security reasons, Wills said he doesn't give it much weight.

"That's false, in my opinion. People use it, they don't abuse it," he said. 

"Border security is important … but if there's any strange traffic or people in strange places, we would see it."

Local residents using Border Road has never been an issue in the past, said Warner's reeve, Taylor. And the partnership between Warner and Toole County worked well. 

Warner's residents are generally unhappy with the change, said Taylor, but he added he's confident that when the new Canadian road is constructed, they'll be more accepting of the new circumstances.

"I think once it's built and everybody gets used to it, it's going to be just fine. It'll be better for both law-enforcement agencies," said Taylor.

"The fact is the U.S. are strong, that they are closing that road to Canadian traffic, so we have no choice but to put another road in on the Alberta side."

Taylor added that the province has verbally agreed to pay for the new road.

Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said the county has already progressed well into designing a replacement road. Subject to funding approval, construction on the new road will begin late this fall or early next year, he said.

"While the road is under U.S. jurisdiction, Alberta's government is fast-tracking with the county to explore options that will maintain safe, reliable connections for residents, farm operations and local businesses," said Dreeshen in an emailed statement.

The RCMP declined to comment, referring CBC News to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In a statement sent on Friday, that agency wrote that it was working with its Canadian partners to ensure "minimal disruption to the residents along the Border Road."

"The United States has a vested interest on securing its borders. This includes any direct egress routes leading into and out of the United States," the statement reads.

"The United States and Canada both have a national security interest of knowing what is coming in and out of its borders, both through the ports of entry and what may attempt to enter in between those designated ports."