Regina plays role in enhancing Canada’s national security

A new program to enhance Canada’s national security has a Saskatchewan connection.  

On Sunday National Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced the establishment of the Canadian Safety and Security Program (CSSP), which will be based in Regina.  

The program will strengthen Canada’s ability to prevent, respond to and recover from crisis, whether it’s terrorism, natural disasters or crime.  

“It’s about upping our game in preparation of any inevitability,” MacKay said. “Technology is coming ahead leaps and bound, and we’re trying to marry all of these law enforcement, military, prevention agencies together.” 

A lab will be based out of Regina to develop and test programs and activities to keep Canada safe. The lab is the only centre of its kind in Canada.  

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“The RCMP has depot here, and it’s a national centre,” said Dr. Marc Fortin, the CEO of Defence Research and Development Canada, which is leading the project. “The University of Regina, as well, has a unique police program at the university level, which is not seen anywhere else in the country.” 

Annual funding is pegged at over $43M. At the lab in Regina, work will be done to look at security and public safety options, much like the work that went into hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.  

Candice Hoeppner, the Parliamentary Secretary for the Department of Public Safety was in Regina on behalf of Minister Vic Toews. She says this program will help keep Canada at the top when it comes to security measures.  

“We are a leader and other countries are looking to us, and are quite envious because of the investment our government is making to the research, which is such an important part,” she said.  

Fortin has high hopes for some of the projects that will be done in Regina.  

“There are projects that will help the various responders communicate and interoperability of communication systems,” he said. “It is about protecting not only Canadians, but first responders with protective gear against chemicals, against radiological incidents.”