Fort St. John celebrates opening of new RCMP Detachment
September 18, 2023
The City of Fort St. John, in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), celebrated the opening of the newly constructed Fort St. John RCMP Detachment, located at 10712 – 100 Street. The event, which took place on Friday, September 15, 2023, at the new net-zero detachment, marked a significant moment in our community's history.
Replacing the aging 35-year-old detachment, the newly constructed $51.4 million RCMP Detachment boasts a contemporary design, featuring innovative mass timber construction and a 145-kilowatt photovoltaic system. It is anticipated that the detachment will outperform traditional builds by consuming over 80 percent less energy, equating to annual savings exceeding $60,000.
This groundbreaking endeavour adopted an Integrated Design Process, where a team of professionals, including architects, engineers, and project managers, work collaboratively to design the building. This values-based approach, instead of a cost-based approach seen in typical construction projects, leads to greater efficiencies, improved designs, and higher quality projects. All while adhering to transparency and accountability requirements following our purchasing and procurement policies.
The Fort St. John RCMP Detachment houses over 90 employees, including a combined total of 65 police officers from both municipally and provincially funded units, and 25 support staff responsible for an area of approximately 46,700 square kilometres.
The City of Fort St. John, through the Peace River Agreement, funded the majority of the project, with the RCMP contributing through annual lease payments. Furthermore, this project was fortunate to secure a $1.5 million grant from the Green Municipal Fund – funded by the Government of Canada, and administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
QUOTES:
Mayor Lilia Hansen, City of Fort St. John
"We are immensely proud to mark this significant milestone in our community's history with the opening of the new Fort St. John RCMP Detachment. This collaborative effort not only enhances our city's safety and security but also underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship."
Inspector Anthony Hanson, Officer in Charge of the Fort St. John Detachment
“We would like to thank the City of Fort St. John and the community for this magnificent Detachment. It is so important for our police officers and staff to work out of a purpose-built building designed for law enforcement.”
Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, Commanding Officer of BC RCMP
“An RCMP Detachment is more than a building with four walls. It also houses our history in this great land and it houses our vision for the future. A Detachment is our home but is also is where the community can find a place of refuge; a harbour of safety.”
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