Office of the Provincial Security Adviser
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Agency overview | |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of New Brunswick |
The Office of the Provincial Security Adviser (OPSA) is an agency of the Government of New Brunswick, Canada which operates under the Department of Justice and Public Safety.
Its mission is described as "providing security advice....networks, facilities, assets and persons critical to New Brunswick's safety, security and economy in both the public and private sectors...for natural, accidental and deliberate events".[1]
It came to public attention in 2026 when it was revealed to have been reported to the Ombudsman by the head of the RCMP in the province for potentially violating the law in surveilling specific residents of New Brunswick in response to the Covid 19 lockdowns.[2] This included monitoring the travel of residents, through their cellphone data - and monitoring online activity of “citizens who express discontent” toward government policies.[2]
The CBC reported "It’s not clear when the office was created, but it has existed for at least a decade with no legislation setting out what it can and can’t do.".[2] In 2016, Andrew Easton, head of Ambulance New Brunswick, was named its head - a role he continued through 2022.[3][4]