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Federal Funding Designed to Boost Security of Canadian Transit Systems

Posted on: Monday, 13 November 2006, 21:00 CST

By ROSS MAROWITS

MONTREAL (CP) - Canada's largest public transit systems hope the federal government will provide enough funding Tuesday keep their commuters safe from terrorist attacks.

Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon is expected to award up to $80 million to six cities to prevent transit bombings that rocked Madrid, London and Mumbai. Citing security reasons, Montreal transit spokeswoman Marianne Rouette wouldn't say what the money will be used for.

"If I tell you what the projects are, I will be telling you our vulnerability," she said in an interview.

"When we know (Tuesday) how much the funding is then we will know which projects we will be able to work on."

The Societe de transport de Montreal has already installed 531 closed circuit cameras and plans to have 1,200 in place by next June.

Rouette said the federal funding will help to improve an already safe Montreal subway system.

"It's a work in progress," she said of security measures. "Who would have thought before 2001 that we could face a situation like what New York faced."

The Toronto Transit Commission expects to receive $10 million in funding, which will be used to install 10,000 television cameras.

Toronto, Ottawa-Gatineau, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton are expected to receive federal funding.

The federal funding is meant to be used for new surveillance networks including cameras, communications and access-control equipment.

In Vancouver, the federal funding will help Translink to prevent terrorism by funding the addition of security cameras.

The money is part of the $1.4-billion for security announced in last spring's federal budget.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper pledged in June to award up to $80 million for transit security.

Source: Canadian Press

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