The Canadian government could have fined China $25,000 for flying a suspected spy balloon over Canada without obtaining a federal permit, according to a briefing note from the department of Transport..On Feb. 4, the balloon was shot down by US fighter jets. .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, it was later found and retrieved in the Atlantic Ocean near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina..“Any individual that breaks these rules can be subject to fines,” said the note High Altitude Object Incidents. .“There are fines of up to $5,000 for an individual or $25,000 for a corporation for launching an unmanned large balloon without the minister’s authorization.”.On Feb. 3, China acknowledged ownership of what it described as a weather balloon that drifted across Alaska, Yukon and British Columbia into Idaho and Montana, where it was first disclosed by local media. .Canada’s department of National Defence called it a “high altitude surveillance balloon” powered by solar panels..“The system worked,” then-Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told reporters at the time. .“The North American Aerospace Defense Command did its job, identifying the object, tracking the object.”.Near the Yukon border with Alaska, two unidentified objects were shot down on February 10..On Feb. 12, another object was shot down over Lake Huron. .None of these objects were recovered..“What we know very well is these balloons represent a threat to the safety of air travellers,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on February 14. .“That’s why we made the decision to shoot them down, but obviously, we are going to continue to do the research to better understand what is going on.”.The Transport department briefing note dated March 6 did not mention any security threat. “Many weather balloons are launched and sometimes they do cross the border,” it said..“Transport Canada remains in close communication and coordination with key partners and will not hesitate to take appropriate action to continue to ensure aviation safety for the travelling public,” said the note..According to federal law and Canadian Aviation Regulations, any “unoccupied free balloons” with a volume exceeding three cubic metres need a federal permit. .The US Air Force reported the Chinese balloon was 60 meters tall..On Feb. 14, former Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino stated that the Canadian government was aware of Chinese surveillance activities..“We will continue to make sure we keep our eyes open in the skies to deal with the situation as it comes,” said Mendicino..Due to a high level of spam content being posted, all comments undergo manual approval by a staff member during regular business hours (Monday - Friday). Your patience is appreciated.
