Ottawa police not planning to issue fines at interprovincial border crossing checkpoints

After the weekend, driving over any border to or from Ontario will require drivers to pass police check points, and the Ottawa Police Service wants to remind drivers that everyone trying to cross will be screened.

Checkpoints on the Ontario side going into and out of Quebec will start Monday at 12:01 a.m. with officers stationed on a 24-7 basis on the Ontario side of the Champlain, Portage, Chaudière and Macdonald-Cartier bridges, as well as the Quyon and Bourbonnais ferries as part of the provincial stay-at-home order.

Police will also have a presence at the Alexandra Bridge, as the provincial order also applied to pedestrians and cyclists.

For now, there are no plans to issue fines to drivers, cyclists or pedestrians trying to enter the province, Insp. Michel Marin of the Ottawa Police Service told CityNews Ottawa in a news conference Sunday.

“At this point, this is fairly new to us,” he said. “We’re trying to plan this in a way that [the interaction at the border] is going to be a short conversation. If we’re asking them to turn around for whatever reason, we’ll be keeping tabs on that.”

As for repeat offenders who continue to try to cross the border, the OPS is still working out those details.

“In terms of re-offending, we’re not there yet,” Marin explained. “We’re also going to find out from other agencies who have done this in the past — if they’ve had any of those types of issues. But I don’t see ourselves going into a position where we’re going to be providing fines to people who are constantly trying to come into the province with good reason.”

Often, he added, people tend to be understanding when it comes to police operations.

“Most people we deal with have a good common sense approach to why we’re doing this and the general pubic generally tends to be very cooperative and we’re not anticipating any major issues on those bridges.”

Marin also clarified that this is an Ottawa Police Service operation only — OPP and the RCMP will not be helping but instead will have their own plans in motion.

According to the new provincial powers given to local police across the province, when approaching Ontario, a person may be stopped by police officers who may ask questions as to their purpose for entering the province.

There will be lane reductions and turn-around lanes.

Police are asking that drivers drive with care and follow the directions of the officers.

Officers will also be wearing PPE, including masks and eye wear, and embers of the public are expected to do the same when interacting with police.

In the initial 24 to 72 hours of the operation, however, police say they will focus on education and awareness.

As for required documents, beyond identification to operate a vehicle, no other documentation will be needed to show officers.

Individuals will be required to provide their name, address and reason for travelling, though.

No person is allowed to travel into Ontario from either province except under specific circumstances, including:

• the person’s principal residence is in Ontario
• the person is travelling to perform work in Ontario
• the person is transporting goods into or through Ontario as part of the operation of a business that involves the transportation of goods
• the person is travelling into Ontario for the purpose of exercising an Aboriginal or treaty right
• the person’s health makes it necessary to travel into Ontario to obtain healthcare or social services
• the travel is necessary for a humanitarian or compassionate reasons

Drivers are also reminded to stop when instructed by an officer to do so, provide any available identification or documentation and answer any questions to help the officer in determining whether the person is entering Ontario for a permitted purpose.

If the officer reasonably believes that the person is not complying with the provincial order and is not entering the province for one of the permitted purposes, the officer can direct them to return to Quebec.

Checkpoints will also be set up along the Ontario-Manitoba border.