TORONTO — The Ontario government has granted special constables on major transit systems the authority to arrest people for possession and use of illegal drugs, marking the first such expansion of powers for transit administrators in Canada.The regulation, which took effect July 1, allows constables employed by Metrolinx, the Toronto Transit Commission, Ottawa’s OC Transpo and other municipal services to arrest individuals without a warrant. They are able to issue tickets for public drug use, seize and destroy substances such as cocaine or methamphetamine, and send samples for analysis. Municipal transit agencies and police boards are now working to implement the changes locally.Premier Doug Ford and provincial officials have framed the measure as a direct response to rising violence and open drug use on transit. Ford has repeatedly said “transit riders have had enough.” Solicitor-General Michael Kerzner described the policy as a way to “send a message of confidence” to the public..Violent incidents on transit systems in Toronto, Ottawa and other Canadian cities have climbed in recent years, coinciding with increased loitering, homelessness and visible drug use at stations that have become informal shelters. Ontario has closed nearly all supervised drug-use sites in the province, including at least six in Toronto.Special constables already had limited authority under previous legislation to order people using drugs or causing a disturbance to leave public spaces. The new regulation adds the power of arrest, which until now has been rare outside of British Columbia’s dedicated Metro Vancouver Transit Police.Sarah Kennedy, president of the Ontario Special Constables Association, welcomed the expanded authority but called for additional tools, including tasers, arguing that constables currently limited to batons, handcuffs and pepper spray are being placed in dangerous situations with unpredictable individuals..Opponents argue the policy will not address root causes and risks further marginalizing vulnerable people. Thomas Kerr, a senior scientist with the BC Centre on Substance Use, said the approach simply moves people “from one precarious place to another without addressing the root causes of their displacement.”Kora DeBeck, a Simon Fraser University professor specializing in drug policy, said there is “no evidence, no data of any sort, to suggest Ontario’s legislation would really help.” Lisa McDonald of Casey House in Toronto cautioned against treating discomfort caused by people under the influence as a pure safety issue.TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said the new authority is “another tool in the box” but will require additional staff training on handling and storing illicit substances before it can be used.Mayors in Sudbury, Brampton and Windsor expressed support for the provincial move, while noting that higher-density systems will see the most immediate impact. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario said the bigger ongoing challenge for most communities remains the rising cost of policing.The policy represents a clear shift toward enforcement on Ontario’s transit networks as riders continue to report feeling unsafe.
