National 2007
Rigaud, Quebec, September 11, 2007 --The Honourable
Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, and the
Honourable Michael M. Fortier, Minister of Public
Works and Government Services and Minister Responsible
for the Region of Montréal, today announced plans to
expand the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA)
Learning Centre in Rigaud, Quebec, with an investment
of $50 million.
The renovations, which will be implemented over three
years, will allow the Centre to train approximately
220 more new recruits each year and to operate the new
CBSA firearms training program. The renovations
include a new indoor firing range, a multi-purpose
building and expanded residential capacity.
“CBSA officers help to ensure the safety and
prosperity of Canadians by keeping our border secure,
which is why Canada’s New Government is proudly
investing in new training programs and facilities,”
said Minister Day. “With this expansion, the Rigaud
facility will play an even greater role in training
and qualifying officers, including offering the new
firearms training.”
This project is a key component of the $101 million
initiative announced by Canada’s New Government in
Budget 2006 to begin arming CBSA officers and
eliminating work-alone situations. The expansion will
allow the CBSA to incorporate firearms training into
its Port of Entry Recruit Training program at the
Centre.
The CBSA Learning Centre is the Agency’s national
training facility, and it currently employs some 260
employees and contractors. Some 850 new recruits are
expected to be trained per year once the renovations
are complete, up from the 630 new recruits currently
being trained annually.
“The CBSA Learning Centre is a major local employer,
and the expansion project will bring even more
benefits to the local community,” said Minister
Fortier. “I am pleased that Canada’s New Government
has invested in this region’s future prosperity and in
Canada’s border security.”
The CBSA is responsible for facilitating the access of
people and goods to and from Canada, and for providing
integrated border services that support national
security and public safety priorities.
For more information, please visit the CBSA’s Web Site
at www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.
-30-
For media information:
Mélisa Leclerc
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Stockwell Day
Minister of Public Safety
(613) 991-2863
