Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is assuring the public that conservation officers can take part in his plan to help patrol the Canada-United States border, and still make the time to harass Indigenous hunters in the province.
“We’re confident that with a bit of overtime, and no small amount of elbow grease, these conservation officers will do both,” Kinew told reporters.
The announcement comes after U.S. president-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods unless border security is improved.
However, the Premier’s plan to use conservation officers has raised concerns from the province’s opposition parties who worry the department will be stretched thin. Kinew batted those fears away on Friday.
“We all know that when it comes to any kind of enforcement that affects Indigenous people, money is no object,” Kinew said.