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The RCMP has cancelled a $7.5 million contract for one of its grounded Black Hawk helicopters after questions arose about whether it met Canadian aviation regulations for border patrols. Public Services and Procurement Canada terminated the agreement with Ottawa-based Helicopter Transport Services by mutual consent, though details about financial transactions or wrongdoing were not disclosed. The helicopter was initially grounded in June when Transport Canada questioned its compliance with federal regulations, part of a larger $1.3 billion initiative aimed at addressing U.S. concerns over cross-border issues under former President Trump's tariff threats.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The RCMP has cancelled its $7.5 million contract for one of their grounded Black Hawk helicopters with Helicopter Transport Services (HTS) after it was discovered that the aircraft did not meet Canadian licensing requirements for border patrols. Public Services and Procurement Canada confirmed in a statement to The Star that both parties mutually agreed to terminate the agreement, but did not disclose whether an ongoing investigation had found any wrongdoing by either party or how much money HTS received from the RCMP before the cancellation. Transport Canada initially allowed HTS to import the Black Hawk under the assumption it would only be used for training purposes and special events. Details about payments made by the RCMP to HTS prior to contract termination remain unclear, as none of the involved parties responded to further inquiries from The Star on Tuesday.
Written for “RCMP Helicopter Contract Cancellation” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score -0.35 for article 12140 (medium confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-15
A $7.5-million contract for one of the RCMP’s Black Hawk helicopters has been cancelled, months after the Star revealed the U.S.-made aircraft was grounded for being ineligible to use for border patrols in Canada.
asserted
aircraft → cancel → Canada
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) said in a written statement to the Star on Tuesday that the government and Ottawa-based Helicopter Transport Services (HTS) “have agreed to terminate the agreement by mutual consent.”
asserted
government → say → consent
The statement did not say if an ongoing probe into the contract had found wrongdoing by the RCMP or HTS, which won the contract despite questions about whether the helicopter met the licensing requirements to be used for border patrols in Canada.
asserted
helicopter → say → Canada
It also did not say how much money, if any, the RCMP had paid HTS under the contract before it was cancelled.
asserted
it → say → contract
Federal officials probe how the RCMP gave a $7.5-million contract to a border patrol helicopter that appeared to be offside with Canadian regulations.
asserted
that → probe → regulations
Federal officials probe how the RCMP gave a $7.5-million contract to a border patrol helicopter that appeared to be offside with Canadian regulations.
asserted
that → probe → regulations
PSPC, HTS and the RCMP did not immediately respond to questions from the Star on Tuesday afternoon.
asserted
PSPC → respond → afternoon
The RCMP awarded the contract to HTS in June, but grounded the helicopter just 10 days later after Transport Canada questioned whether its use complied with federal aviation regulations, prompting a government investigation.
asserted
use → award → investigation
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree recently characterized the controversy as a “miscommunication between the Transport Canada authorities and the contractor” and told the Star the matter was “being resolved.”
asserted
matter → characterize → Star
The helicopters were chartered last year as part of a $1.3-billion plan to stave off tariffs then threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump, who was demanding that Canada crack down on cross-border drug trafficking and irregular migration.
asserted
Canada → charter → trafficking
Critics have questioned the value of the Black Hawks, which have become the focal point of controversy in the domestic helicopter industry.
asserted
which → question → industry
There is demand to use the American-made former military helicopters in Canada, but the regulatory exemptions required to fly them here have been paused since late 2024 as Transport Canada develops a longer term plan for their use.
asserted
Canada → be → use
Earlier this year, Transport Canada allowed HTS to import the Black Hawk in question under the assumption it would fly only for training or special events.
asserted
it → allow → training
The helicopter was grounded after Transport Canada raised concerns about the RCMP using it for border patrols.
asserted
RCMP → ground → patrols
The RCMP has chartered two other Black Hawks from HTS since January 2025, which were imported to Canada before the exemptions were paused.
asserted
exemptions → charter → Canada
It wasn’t immediately clear whether those contracts would also be affected.
asserted
contracts → affect → ?
Anandasangaree has defended use of the Black Hawks as an “off-the-shelf fix” that was implemented quickly to get around procurement challenges, and said their long-term use will be assessed.
asserted
use → defend → challenges
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