Ontario invests $32.5 million to bolster border security

The Ontario government is investing $32.5 million to enhance border security and combat the smuggling of illegal firearms, drugs, and other contraband. This funding is part of a broader public safety strategy called ‘Operation Deterrence’.

The investment is split into two main components: a $30 million Border Security Grant for municipal and First Nations police services with international borders or strategic waterways, and a $2.5 million Border Integrity Investigative Fund to support investigations into organized crime and trafficking.

Eligible services can use the grants to acquire specialized technology, including drones, marine vessels, radar, thermal imaging cameras, and surveillance systems. Additionally, the province is allocating $57 million for two new H-135 helicopters to assist the Windsor Police Service, Niagara Regional Police Service, and the West Region OPP in patrolling key border crossings along the U.S. border.