November 8, 2022 at 2:35 pm
Canada’s public safety minister has pledged to review policing strategies at border crossings such as the Ambassador Bridge.
During a visit to Windsor on Tuesday, Minister Marco Mendicino said that when the inquiry into the Emergencies Act is completed, the government will be able to assess all the tools authorities have to prevent lockdowns, such as closing the Ambassador Bridge to traffic for almost a week .
“One of the important questions will be whether we need to update our existing legal institutions so that all law enforcement can more quickly mobilize and coordinate their efforts to address this new type of threat,” Mendicino said.
In testimony to the committee on Monday, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said he was still expecting the provincial and federal governments to develop a policy that clearly outlines roles and responsibilities for incidents involving international border crossings.
The City of Windsor spent an additional $5.1 million in policing costs to clear the Ambassador Bridge blockade in February. Neither the provincial or federal government has provided funds to cover these costs.
Mendicino said he would continue to work with the City of Windsor to enable it to fully recover from lockdown.
“We will make sure we look for every opportunity to facilitate recovery from the illegal lockdown,” Mendicino said.