Harper Confirms Border Guards Will Be Armed Starting Next Year
Posted August 31, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was a budget pledge and beginning a year from now, they intend to keep it.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has confirmed plans to arm guards at Canada’s border points, a request those manning the crossing lines have long been demanding.
But not everyone will be under the gun. It could take as long as 10 years before they all have weapons.
The government intends to have at least 150 of the cross-country sentinels equipped with sidearms by March 2008, and 400 more officers will be hired at a cost of $101 million. There are currently about 500 of them at crossing points around the country.
The idea – double the coverage of those checking out travellers trying to go from here to the U.S. At present, there’s often just a single person on duty.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada, which represents the workers, welcomes the change but wonders why it will take so long to have it fully implemented.
It’s the same question N.D.P. leader Jack Layton is demanding be answered.
“The guards have been asking for this for 10 years,” he points out. “Now it’s going to take 10 years for them to be able to stop guns and other things from getting into the country.”
Those standing on guard for thee have complained for years that they simply aren’t ready for terrorists or violent criminals who try to come into or leave the country carrying guns and other dangerous items.
Earlier this year, disgruntled officers left their posts in B.C. after being informed that two murder suspects from California were headed towards them. The desperados were eventually caught by U.S. law enforcement officials before they reached the border.
That was too close for comfort for those guarding the entrances and exits to Canada.
“If those officers are caught in a situation where unfortunately somebody chooses to open fire on them, they’ll at least have a chance to defend themselves against that,” notes Ron Morin of the Customs Excise Union.
The first armed guards are expected to begin their patrols by September 2007.
