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21,000 cars came through northern Ontario-Quebec border crossings, 5 charged during stay-home order

Some 21,000 cars came through the four border crossings set up between northern Ontario and Quebec this spring, and the bill for guarding the border during two months of Ontario's stay-at-home order has yet to be tallied.

OPP halted 286 cars and trucks that weren't let into northern Ontario, guarding cost still to be tallied

Erik White · CBC News ·
An Ontario Provincial Police officer questions a driver crossing the Quebec border on Highway 65 near New Liskeard in April. (Ezra Belotte-Cousineau/Radio-Canada)

Some 21,000 cars came through the four border crossings set up between northern Ontario and Quebec this spring, but the bill for guarding the border has yet to be tallied.

Ontario Provincial Police were stationed at the border for about two months during the stay-at-home order aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19.

That included checkpoints on Highway 101 east of Matheson, Highway 66 near Virginiatown, Highway 65 near New Liskeard and on Highway 63 on the dam over the Ottawa River between the town of Temiscaming, Que., and the small village of Thorne, Ont.

OPP say 21,637 cars and trucks crossed the border at those four points between April 19 and June 13, for an average of 390 vehicles per day.

They say 286 vehicles weren't allowed to enter Ontario and five people were charged with violating the stay-at-home order. 

The Ontario government says it still has to add up the cost of guarding the border crossings round the clock for two months.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erik White

journalist

Erik White is a CBC journalist based in Sudbury. He covers a wide range of stories about northern Ontario. Send story ideas to erik.white@cbc.ca

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