Measures to secure the Canada-United States border amid tariff threats from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump were outlined in Ottawa Wednesday morning.
Minister of Public Safety David McGuinty said they're adding more personnel, tools, advanced technology, drones, surveillance equipment, and helicopters as part of the $1.3 billion dollar plan that was originally announced in December.
"As of December 23, we ended the practice of flag poling, which occurred when foreign nationals left Canada for a short time, only to re-enter Canada to access immigration services more quickly. Ending this practice will allow border officers to fully concentrate on border enforcement, saving 8,000 days of work for border agents," said McGuinty.
He said 60 new drones have been deployed and the government will be deploying additional surveillance towers.
"We are acquiring new technology, such as x-rays, mobile x-rays, and handheld chemical analyzers. As of this week, we are deploying new helicopters at the Canada-U.S. border," McGuinty said.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) search capacity has been increased to minimize the number of individuals trying to cross the border illegally between ports of entry and to keep dangerous individuals out of North America.
"Last year, the CBSA removed over 16,800 individuals from Canada. That's more than double, compared to 2021. Through our border plan, we're investing additional resources to further increase removals by another 25 per cent this year," McGuinty said.
As of January 6, McGuinty said the CBSA adjusted its hours of service at land ports of entry to align with those of the United States.
"This will allow both countries to use our resources more efficiently, as we'll be able to deploy officers to busier ports of entry when required," he said.
McGuinty said $77.7 million has been invested to expand Health Canada's laboratory and regulatory capabilities to ensure law and border enforcement have the tools they need to detect and address fentanyl.
"Through joint efforts from Canada and the United States, less than one per cent of the illegal drugs and crossings into the United States came from Canada. We have a strong border and we are building a stronger one," he said.
McGuinty said they'll continue to work with American partners to ensure our border is the most secure and efficient in the world.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley has been pushing for border security improvements, including the reestablishment of an RCMP detachment in Sarnia.