A wild guess here but it might be some sort of low frequency setup that might be used to detect either geological anomalies or perhaps metal deposits underground.
It is for locating mineral deposits in the ground. We are in the midst of a gold boom up here and we have those things flying around constantly. They are either under a helicopter or towed behind a plane.
That looks like the OPP chopper. I saw it today flying near Highway 9 and the 10th Sideraod, which is south of Beeton. It was around 4:30 pm and I didn't notice anything hanging from the chopper at that time. Very Curious.