The Windsor Port Authority is strengthening waterway security between Canada and the United States.
The Port Authority is enhancing waterway safety and security across its jurisdiction with new state-of-the-art cameras from Axis Communications.
These cameras, combined with radar solutions, provide the port with the visibility needed to prevent collisions, better detect illegal activity, and save lives along the river.
Port Windsor Harbour Master, Peter Berry, says these cameras can both detect and visually confirm incidents in real-time. He adds that they've seen the successes of these cameras - such as quickly rescuing drowning victims, and helping to catch human smugglers.
Berry says the main purpose of the cameras is to ensure that navigation stays safe.
"That we have the free movement of goods unobstructed for the large vessels crossing through, and really what became an ancillary benefit was the fact we're able to see the cross-border traffic between the U.S. and Canada, and some of it is not reporting in."
He says the cameras and the radar system will work hand-in-hand.
"Now as the radar picks up movement through the river, the camera will go and follow that object. So whether it's a jet ski, a canoe, a kayak, a picnic table, or a large vessel, the radar will pick it up, take the camera to it, and then we'll have a recording of date, time, place, and who was moving along the river."
He says these cameras will become a tool for enforcement for ships that aren't moving for large vessels.
"So we could reach out the owner of the vessel, and say 'we have you on video, we have your picture, you did not move out of the way, you're subject to fines, you're subject to your voyage being seized', where we would rather say 'we have your video, we have your picture, we'd like you to stop that behaviour."
Berry adds that the cameras are already installed along the river, and this process has been taking place over the last few years.
The Windsor Port serves as the passageway between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, navigating between 6,000 and 9,000 cargo vessels annually, and over 10,000 small fishing boats each year.
Looking ahead, the port plans to enhance its capabilities with drone awareness to be able to transition from monitoring the river, to tracking targets in the air.