The MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh is pleased to see Premier Doug Ford following through with his commitment to help address border security.
Andrew Dowie is reacting to the province's latest budget that includes a helicopter for Windsor police.
He says he's always happy to see an investment in Windsor and a recognition that border security is important.
As AM800 news reported, the 2025 Ontario budget includes $57-million for two new H-135 helicopters to support Niagara Regional Police and Windsor Police with increased patrols, security and enforcement at key entry points at the U.S. border.
Dowie says the province wants to make sure borders are better protected.
"When there's the complaints about the insufficient border security measures in Canada in particularly along our rivers and lakes, we needed to do better and so I was just pleased to see the premier follow through with his commitment to helping address our border security," says Dowie.
He says the helicopter is a way to protect people in the community.
"It's not just, call it a migration across the board and we don't know who's coming and what they're bringing whether that be guns or smuggled goods or smuggled people especially for human trafficking," he says.
Dowie says the province is taking the border seriously.
"We have to make sure that we have the tools we need at the international border and they weren't there before, the province isn't typically in charge of border security but look we're all in this together and we need to make sure that, we have the tools that we need to keep our people safe," says Dowie.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford indicated in December 2024, as well as in February of this year that Windsor police would be getting a helicopter to address border security.
Windsor police chief Jason Bellaire says he's excited for the helicopter but says there is still a lot to be worked out.
He says the helicopter would be able to assist not only Windsor police, but the Ontario Provincial Police, and the Canada Border Services Agency as well.