GRETNA, Man. — The Manitoba government said Monday its plan to have conservation officers help keep an eye on the United States border was underway, but the officers' union was still unclear as to how much extra work its members will be doing.
Like some other provinces, Manitoba promised earlier this year to beef up border surveillance after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods if border security is not improved.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew's plan includes having conservation officers help with border surveillance along with their existing duties, such as fighting poaching. Kinew said conservation officers are being asked to focus on secondary roads and backcountry areas within their existing regions
"These are folks who are going to to be active in parts of our province along with the southern border already," Kinew told reporters as he stood on a road not far from the border south of Winnipeg.
"And so we're asking for them to be deployed into areas to help us just be that additional set of eyes and ears."
The Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union said no extra officers are being hired specifically for border duties, and no extra training has been offered to existing workers.
The union said about 20 per cent of conservation officer jobs are vacant, and officers are already busy with their regular tasks, so it's unclear how much additional work they can take on.
"It sounds like (officers') routines may change a little, to be a little more towards the border, but overall, from what we understand, they're going to do as much of their regular role as possible," union president Kyle Ross said.
While some other provinces, such as Saskatchewan, are adding to law enforcement staff along the border, Manitoba plans to rely largely on existing conservation officers. Kinew said the government has also invested $460,000 for RCMP overtime work in border areas and increased funding for truck inspectors at border crossings.
The conservation officers are expected to alert RCMP or border patrol agencies if they spot suspected criminal activity. They can also come to the aid of migrants whose lives can be in danger from the cold Prairie winters.
"If you see somebody crossing an open plain like this without gloves and hats on, then I would say that that would be a situation where there would be that direct intervention," Kinew said.
Two weeks ago, six people from multiple countries in Africa and the Middle East were caught in freezing temperatures trying to illegally cross into Manitoba near Emerson.
In January 2022, a family of four from India was found frozen to death while trying to cross from Manitoba into Minnesota. The temperature was below -20 C and strong winds made it feel even colder.
Steve Shand of Florida and Harshkumar Patel, an Indian national arrested in Chicago, were found guilty of human-smuggling charges in that case and have a sentencing hearing tentatively set for March.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2025.
— by Steve Lambert in Winnipeg
The Canadian Press
