Citizens asked to remain “vigilant” when crossing border after attack in Ottawa

by Justin Prince

Windsorites and Canadians alike are being asked to be vigilant and to be safe when crossing the border after a terrorist attack on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Both local and national agencies are warning citizens to be safe after Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, a military reservist from Hamilton, was shot and killed outside of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The memorial, which was erected in 2000 to honour “the more than 116,000 Canadians who died in the honour of peace and freedom” according to Veterans Affairs Canada. The shooter, 32-year-old Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, was then confronted outside the Centre Block’s Reading Room before being shot and killed according to media reports. Zehaf-Bibeau, who is now believed to have acted alone, reportedly had connections to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The RCMP said in a press conference that Zehaf-Bibeau was not part of a list of 93 people who were being monitored for terrorism and extremist connections.

“On behalf of myself and the constituents of Windsor-Tecumseh, we express our deepest condolences to the soldier that was killed and the people who were injured,” said Windsor-Tecumseh MP Joe Comartin on Twitter after the events. “As horrific as the events were that surfaced Monday (in Quebec) and then again today, rest assured, as parliamentarians, we are committed to not allow our democracy, values or way of life to be undermined by the actions of individuals or groups who are prepared to use violence to achieve their ends. We will fight them in every way necessary. The Canadian people are strong and they will win this battle.”

Canada’s threat level was raised from low to medium for the first time since 2010 a few days before the attack according to Global News. But despite the heighten security risk and the shooting, Windsor’s border crossings remain open according to both the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge’s websites. And while Windsor Police Services Sgt. Matthew D’Asti said there’s no immediate threat in Windsor-Essex County, the police are “still monitoring the situation 24/7.”

“In spite of yesterday’s occurrences in our nation’s capital, our vigilance includes our communications with our border patrol (Canadian Border Services Agency) officers at an intelligence level,” said D’Asti. “We’re sharing communications amongst local police agencies as well, not just in Windsor, to ensure everyone is sharing information and has all the relevant and permanent information in relation to these latest events. We know Canada has raised the security threat involving terrorism based on world events. These world events include Canada’s participation in joint force efforts to address the threats posed by ISIS. And that’s why the security level has been raised in Canada.”

According to Statistics Canada, more than 140,000 cars and more than 28,000 trucks cross the U.S.-Canada border daily as of 2010. But in recent years, both the bridge and the tunnel have received bomb threats along with a number of other buildings and offices in Windsor, all of which were found to be false alarms by the WPS. With the shooting in Ottawa, the CBSA is instructing people to stay safe and to be patient while crossing the border.

“The CBSA works closely with its domestic and international security partners to ensure the safety and security of Canada’s borders,” said Line A. Guibert-Wolff, a media spokesperson for the CBSA in an emailed statement. “At this time, CBSA continues to take measures to increase vigilance and maximize the CBSA’s capacity to conduct risk assessments of people and goods before or upon arrival in Canada. During times of heightened security, travelers may experience an increase in border wait times or increased scrutiny. The CBSA thanks travelers for their cooperation.”

But as the Canadian House of Commons resumed session the morning after the shooting, D’Asti said there is a lot of work that still needs to be done in terms of safety. According to media reports, parts of Ottawa are still being secured heavily by both the RCMP and the Ottawa Police Service. Police tape surrounding the monument where the events took place was also not removed until the evening on Oct. 23, about 30 hours after the attack. D’Asti said while the WPS has protocols in place if an attack happened in Windsor, he’s asking citizens to remain safe.

“We are asking our community at this time to be vigilant,” said D’Asti. “If you do know of or hear of or witness suspicious activity, call the local police agency and make them aware of that. I think everyone has a duty and obligation to keeping everybody safe. Obviously our number one mandate is keeping the community safe. It has always been our number one mandate and maintains to be and remains to be our number one mandate.”

If you do see suspicious activity, whether in Windsor or at the border, the WPS asks people to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 519-258-8477.