Project North Star (PNS) is the name of a multi-agency initiative, which first took shape in 1989 as a drug control strategy. It got off to a shaky start because funding was hard to come by, the focus was narrow, and the potential for wide-ranging participation on both sides of the border was not achieved. The PNS held a cross-border meeting in Chicago to come to terms with these various impediments, work out a clear structure, and establish membership criteria. The meeting was a success, and in January 2001, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Attorney General of Canada and the Attorney General of the United States. The gathering in Chicago rallied growing support for the “new” PNS. Quad chairs assembled in a small meeting room prior to the opening of the conference to establish some basic elements of the renewed organization and make plans for its future. One difficult issue confronted by conference participants was the carrying of firearms by law enforcement across borders. RMCP officers who must cross into the United States regularly are not permitted to carry firearms out of their country. This compromises their security if a dangerous situation should arise. In addition to addressing cross border issues, this article examined the ecstasy trade in Ontario and the increase in the heroin trade in Chicago.