Montreal police lose bid to SQ for security contract at Montreal airport

A police officer and his dog patrols Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport Tuesday, March 22, 2016 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Montreal police have lost their bid to provide security at the Trudeau International Airport.

Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) announced Tuesday that the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) won the bidding process and will be responsible for armed security during the new, five-year contract.

Quebec provincial police will take over on Jan. 1, 2025, when the existing contract with the Montreal police service (SPVM) expires. SQ officers will be responsible for providing security services at security checkpoints and at U.S. pre-clearance at the airport.

The airport authority said in a news release that the SPVM had expressed that it didn't want to extend its contract in its current form. Three police forces were invited to participate in the bidding process. The SPVM and SQ were the only two that submitted a proposal.

"After analyzing the proposals submitted and based on a precise evaluation grid, a clear choice was made in favour of the Sûreté du Québec, a respected and recognized police force," ADM said.

"As with many major [projects], the evaluation process was reviewed by an external ethics officer to ensure objectivity and equal treatment of all parties. It goes without saying that the members of the selection committee, supervised by ADM's procurement department, had no interest in or relationship with any of the bidders."

The current Montreal police contract took effect in 2019. While they will no longer be securing the airport, they will still be responsible for providing public safety and incident response services. The force has held the service contract for approximately the last 20 years.

The airport authority said it will roll out an implementation plan with the SQ in the coming months.