Objective 3: Advance Global Interests

Strengthen Safety & Security

Promote Environmental Stewardship Facilitate Indigenous Peoples' Partnerships Advance Francophone Opportunities Facilitate International Development Strengthen Safety & Security

The 8,000 kilometre (5,000 mile) Canada-U.S. border is the longest undefended border in the world. Across this border, Canada and the United States have built the world's largest trading relationship. Defending the security of North America includes protecting the most productive and beneficial two-way economic relationship in the world by building a more secure, efficient, and better-managed border.

After September 11, 2001, governments on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border were thrust into action, not only to re-look at their security measures, but to look for ways to make the border more efficient and better-managed. The federal governments in Canada and the United States worked together to produce the Smart Border Accord.

In addition, the Province strengthened its own security measures. The Province established a Special All-Party Task Force on Security, to receive input on relevant security issues from provincial entities such as the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization (EMO), the departments of Justice, Infrastructure & Transportation, Water Stewardship, and Labour and Immigration. The work of the Task Force resulted in the passage of The Security Management Act in 2001, an omnibus bill that strengthened security provisions to nine provincial Acts. As part of these amendments, the Province updated and strengthened emergency preparedness and response capabilities throughout the province, particularly at the local level.

Individual provinces and states have also improved co-operative efforts related to the border themselves. After all, even though our federal governments have primary responsibility for border security, emergency responses take place at the local level.

A Manitoba-focused Threat Assessment Group, comprised of provincial and federal government representatives, has been created to review and evaluate high-level threat information and to direct appropriate provincial response to international events.

Within Canada, the Province has taken a lead role in working with other provinces to identify emergency management priorities such as emergency management training, Disaster Financial Assistance, emergency public alerting systems, and inter-jurisdictional cooperation during emergencies.

The Province has also taken a lead role in border security discussions between Western Premiers and Western Governors and has reported on activities occurring on both sides of the border to enhance border security, safety and efficiency.

Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBETs) are working in 15 regions along the Canada-U.S. border to fight cross-border crime. Canada and U.S. law enforcement intelligence officers from these teams will now be co-located at two locations in Canada, one at the Red River IBET, to share intelligence on a daily basis. A Border Drug Threat Assessment report was released in 2004 that analyzed the two-way movement of illicit drugs across the border and established key facts about cross-border drug trafficking. It also established best practices and provided the foundation for future joint enforcement activities.

Strategic Actions

The Government of Manitoba will:

• Continuously ensure that emergency management organizational and statutory requirements facilitate an effective response to emergencies and security concerns in Manitoba.

• Make priority investments to address the rapidly evolving challenges of emergency management and public safety and organize these resources to allow for their mobilization outside Manitoba if necessary. Examples of continuing priorities include the development of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) response capacity and specialized resources for Urban Search and Rescue.

• Provide a mechanism, through the development of domestic and international mutual aid agreements, for the Province to contribute to the management of emergencies outside our borders. The Province is currently pursuing the development of an emergency management mutual aid agreement with the States of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. This agreement will ensure that, if one of our neighbours ever needs help in dealing with an emergency, the procedures will be in place to enable us to provide or receive help as quickly and efficiently as possible.

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