With warnings of possible terrorism attacks in the U.S. over the next few days, local MP Robert Nault stressed Thursday afternoon that Canadians should not live in fear but go on with their daily lives.
“I think people in Fort Frances should have always felt safe,” said Nault, also the minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. “What this does is means Sept. 11 has changed the world for all of us.
“We’re prepared to do whatever it takes to make our country as secure as we possibly can,” he stressed.
Ottawa announced yesterday that $280 million will be committed to an anti-terrorism plan that will include new technologies to improve border and airport screening techniques and provide enhanced security features for passports.
“What you’ll see in the next couple of days is announcements for more equipment, more officers . . . I think you’ll hear about hiring more staff at Customs, more RCMP officers,” Nault said.
“I think you’ll see $250 of that $280 million go to programming and hardware. It will be a perfect opportunity to incorporate the changes with the new port-of-entry [at Fort Frances],” he added.
Nault noted life should continue as usual for local residents and businesses.
“The only thing I would ask Fort Frances citizens to do is get on with their normal life. The worst thing we could do is let terrorists affect our everyday life,” he said.
“That would be the most important thing–to go forward and not let ourselves get into a recession because of it.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
