The Honorable Marc Garneau, Canadian Minister of Transport, recently made a statement on airport security at Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.
“The safety and security of Canadians remains a top priority for our Government,” said Garneau. “Airports are secure environments protected by a multi-layered approach to security. Transport Canada works closely with partners such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, Canada Border Services Agency, Airport Authorities and local law enforcement agencies to maintain the highest security standards at Canadian airports.
The Minister went on to say that in order to enter the restricted area of an airport, airport workers must obtain a Transportation Security Clearance (TSC) from Transport Canada. Before a TSC is granted, Transport Canada verifies that an individual does not pose a threat to the Canadian Aviation System, including completing background checks with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the RCMP, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
As part of Transport Canada’s ongoing vetting process, all TSC holders with access to airport restricted areas are verified daily in a police database. “When criminal activity is identified, we take immediate action and can suspend or revoke the clearance of an individual,” said Garneau. “As part of our ongoing security protocols, more than 1,100 clearances have been refused or cancelled at airports across the country over the past 2 years.”
“These daily police checks are part of our Government’s integrated and multi-layered transportation security system that combines these partnerships, intelligence assessment and sharing, policing, physical security, regulations, training and the use of human and technical resources to help minimize risks,” the Minister continued. “This includes the requirement for airport workers to pass through a screening checkpoint when accessing airport secure areas.”
“Canadians can be assured that their Government takes security matters very seriously and will not hesitate to take appropriate action to mitigate risks and respond to any threats, when identified, to the transportation system.”
Garneau has served his country his entire professional career, beginning with the Canadian Navy, then as an astronaut and President of the Canadian Space Agency, and now in political life.
