Province to ‘enhance security along the Niagara River’

The provincial government has announced a new initiative designed to enhance border security.

A news release says Operation Deterrence is the province’s preparedness and planning framework for enhanced security at international borders and tackling criminal activity that is harming people on both sides of the border.

“Ontario has been calling on the federal government to step up and address safety and security concerns at the border. We need to see words turned into visible action,” said Premier Doug Ford in the news release.

“In the meantime, Ontario is stepping up with Operation Deterrence to crack down on illegal border crossings and illegal guns and drugs. A more coordinated, Team Canada approach that includes more boots on the ground is the only way to detect, deter and disrupt illegal activity and ensure the safety and security of Canadian and American communities.”

A question to media contacts for Ford and Ontario’s solicitor general about this operation and whether it is meant to be visible along places like bodies of water as opposed to designated border crossings like the Peace Bridge was not immediately answered on Thursday.

However, the news release says Operation Deterrence will “target its activities outside of the 14 official border crossings staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).”

U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has threatened a 25-per-cent tariff on Canadian goods unless more measures related to border security are taken.

Operation Deterrence is geared towards the border between ports of entry, said Ron Rienas, general manager of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority.

The Peace Bridge is deemed a port of entry with customs personnel providing security and making admissibility determinations.

“Operation Deterrence really has no impact at the Peace Bridge but is designed to enhance security along the Niagara River between the Peace Bridge and the Rainbow Bridge,” the next port of entry, Rienas told Fort Erie Radio.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has an emergency response team of 200 officers that, along with frontline and specialty officers, have been and will continue to be engaged to enhance border security, says the province’s news release.

Since December 6, 2024, the OPP has conducted more than 6,000 hours of focused patrols to deter, detect and disrupt illegal border activity using fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, remotely piloted aircraft, boats, off-road vehicles, patrol vehicles and foot patrol.

In partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Operation Deterrence activity will be enhanced through the use of the emergency response team, frontline officer and additional specialty resources, including canine units, commercial motor vehicle inspections and criminal investigators, says the news release.

“Our government has been crystal clear: securing our shared border is essential to keeping streets across Ontario, Canada and America safe,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner.

“Operation Deterrence will put concrete actions in place that will put a halt on the flow of illegal guns and drugs into our province and protect communities on both sides of the border.”

Operation Deterrence is in addition to existing and ongoing efforts to better protect Ontario-U.S. borders and combat cross-border illegal activity. These include the OPP’s Joint Forces Border Drug Interdiction Task Force, with participants including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, RCMP, CBSA and a number of municipal police services, which stood up as an expansion to a number of ongoing multi-jurisdictional drug investigations, says the province.

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