Issues along the length of the Canada-United States border running through the Beauharnois-Salaberry-Soulanges-Huntingdon (BSSH) riding are included in a recent report tabled by the federal Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.
As one of two vice-chairs, BSSH MP Claude DeBellefeuille personally raised the realities faced on the ground by certain municipalities in her riding, while insisting the committee look into border management during this past legislative session. She confirmed on June 22 that the report was presented in the House of Commons on May 26.
“When I joined the Committee, I insisted that managing our border become a priority. We’re talking about villages and towns that live with the consequences of decisions made in Ottawa on a daily basis, often without being consulted,” said DeBellefeuille.
She explained that while the report makes 27 recommendations concerning, among other things, the mandates of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), as well as irregular immigration, two of the recommendations directly address issues raised by the municipalities and emergency services in the riding.
The first is recommendation number 18, which suggests the RCMP should make satellite command posts in border municipalities a permanent feature, so that officers can respond quickly during emergency operations. “Today, when an emergency arises at the border, the RCMP must sometimes travel from far away, which delays the response by several hours. This is unacceptable for the safety of our citizens,” said DeBellefeuille, who believes border municipalities should have a permanent presence.
The RCMP secured funding last fall for a one-year pilot project to establish a surveillance post in the Municipality of Franklin. DeBellefeuille confirmed that following municipal resolutions supporting a permanent post, she has written to the minister of public security to request the necessary funding.
The MP would also like to see the installation of a surveillance post in the municipality of Dundee to address the trafficking of people, weapons, and drugs over water. DeBellefeuille noted that the region is considered one of Canada’s highest-risk border areas due to the confluence of land, rail and maritime crossings.
Funds for municipalities
DeBellefeuille also highlighted recommendation number 27 of the report, which recommends the government allocate funds to the RCMP to reimburse municipalities when their emergency services are called upon to support operations at the request of the federal police force.
“This is a matter of fundamental fairness. When the RCMP requests assistance from municipal firefighters or first responders for an operation that falls under a federal mandate, it is local taxpayers who foot the bill,” said DeBellefeuille. This can happen, for example, when the RCMP receives a report about migrants crossing the border irregularly and launches a search and rescue operation. “This incurs costs that are not reimbursed to the municipalities,” she explained.
DeBellefeuille pointed out that the report provides a national platform for issues that are often overlooked in debates on public safety. “Major cities and ports get the attention, but our border municipalities face a very different reality, with limited resources and responsibilities that far exceed their capacity. With this report, I wanted their voices to finally be heard in Ottawa,” she explained, before adding that the government has 120 days from the time the report was tabled to respond to the recommendations.
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