A female Canadian border guard was flown by air ambulance to Royal Columbian Hospital after being shot by a man who then turned the gun on himself, police say.

The shooting took place just before 2 p.m. at the Peace Arch border crossing. Police say the man was trying to cross into Canada in a white van with Washington plates.

"At about two o'clock, Surrey RCMP responded to a 911 call from a witness regarding a CBSA officer who had been shot in the line of duty," said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet. "First response emergency response teams, police dog services...all resources at the time."

According to Paquet, the driver of the van, a lone male, was pronounced dead on the scene while the guard, who appeared to have been shot in the neck area, was evacuated.

The guard's condition is unknown at this time, but Paquet noted she was breathing at the time of her evacuation.

As for the identities of those involved, Paquet said they were unknown at the time, and police were unable to confirm if the man was a U.S. citizen.

"We're still trying to establish the sequence of events that took place," he said.

The border is closed in both directions as police investigate the shooting.

When asked when the border would re-open, Paquet said the crossing would be closed for the foreseeable future, and recommended commuters use other border crossings.