Canada says it has border under control just ahead of Trump inauguration

OTTAWA — Public Safety Minister David McGuinty says Ottawa has added 60 new drones at the Canada-U.S. border and will deploy two new helicopters this week as it moves to ratchet up security.

McGuinty trotted out the details of new measures as the federal government seeks to prove it’s serious about beefing up border security with just five days left before Donald Trump’s inauguration.

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The Liberal government pledged $1.3 billion in border upgrades after president-elect Trump threatened steep tariffs unless Canada and Mexico clamp down on the flow of migrants and illegal drugs.

The border concerns however been mainly replaced by complaints about the trade deficit in Trump’s most recent threats to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian imports on his first day in office.

The RCMP plans to set up an aerial intelligence task force for round-the-clock surveillance of Canada’s border with helicopters, drones and surveillance towers.

McGuinty also says Canada will soon get its first-ever border preclearance operation at Cannon Corners, New York.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2025.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press