Manitoba conservation officers patrolling U.S. border crossings to ramp up security: Kinew

Manitoba conservation officers are patrolling the Canada-United States border as part of a coordinated effort to ramp up border security.

Premier Wab Kinew made the announcement at a news conference at the Emerson border crossing Monday. He said conservation officers stationed out of Virden, Boissevain, Manitou, Winnipeg, Steinbach and Sprague are now conducting border patrol as part of their duties.

According to the province, they are patrolling between ports of entry, focusing on secondary roads and back-country areas. They will use snowmobiles, utility terrain vehicles and helicopters to monitor the areas.

Officers will work with the RMCP to carry out activities and lay charges, the province said.

According to Kinew, his government has added more conservation officers since taking office, bringing the vacancy rate from 20 per cent to 10 per cent. Still, they’d like to hire more.

Eleven officers are being used for this initiative, while the province is also investing more resources in the Manitoba RCMP.

“Everybody in Manitoba right now is paying attention to building up the relationship with the United States of America,” Kinew told reporters.

“We know that President Trump has brought in a bunch of new dynamics for our province and for our great country of Canada.”

Trump has called on Canada to stem cross-border traffic in illegal migrants and drugs. He has threatened to impose tariffs to back his demands - 25 per cent across-the-board on Canadian imports starting on Feb. 1.

The initiative will cost $360,000 for added conservation officer staffing, $460,000 for increased RCMP presence, $400,000 for capital costs, like snowmobiles and helicopter use, and $200,000 for motor carrier officers.

Kinew said the increased patrol is meant to send a message to the U.S. and Manitobans that border security is a priority.

“We want to have safe communities, but I also know that people in southern Manitoba have seen very, very serious situations that underline the fact that there’s a humanitarian priority along the border as well,” he said, noting the family of four who died trying to cross the border in January 2022.

Additionally, RCMP say six people from multiple countries were found crossing the border at that location on Jan. 14.

They were put under arrest and transferred to the Canada Border Services Agency.

- With files from the Canadian Press