So far, so good for the OPP working at the Ontario/Manitoba border.
At midnight Monday morning travel restrictions went into place allowing only necessary travel.
OPP Constable Jason Canfield says they are stopping certain vehicles at the border.
“All vehicles other than transports are being spoken to,” says Canfield, “And (we’re) asking why they’re travelling and not at home during Ontario’s stay at home order.”
He tells us officers will be working there until told otherwise.
“Right now we don’t have any planned end date for when we’ll stop doing this. We have people covered for 12-hour long day and night shifts.”
Canfield adds that as of this morning, they hadn’t turned anyone away.
“As of yet, we haven’t turned anyone away. There are certain reasons people can cross the border and so far everyone fit criteria so far.”
While there are people who live in the Falcon Lake and West Hawk Lake area who normally come to Kenora for things like groceries, at this time Canfield says that’s not a justified reason to cross the border.
When it comes to the officers at the border checkpoint, he tells us that they have members coming in from other detachments to make sure no shift runs short.
Canfield adds that they have members like him who can help fill in for calls if need be, and that the OPP plan things like this so they don’t leave any community short on officers.
