GORE BAY—Gore Bay council has made it clear that while the province will be constructing a new Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachment office on Manitoulin, if the town is not chosen as the main command centre, that the current detachment in Gore Bay must remain in its present size and capacity at its current location.
“I would like us to pursue this issue, be the squeaky wheel and continue to inquire as to where the new detachment building is going to go and have a voice and input on this,” stated Gore Bay Councillor Dan Osborne at a council meeting this past Monday. “If we are silent on this issue it indicates we are not really interested.”
Gore Bay Mayor Ron Lane noted that he had attended a meeting on December 4 with local and provincial OPP representatives with several other mayors and reeves on Manitoulin. In that meeting it was divulged that a reorganization is taking place and that the Espanola OPP will be included in the Manitoulin detachment area. “We were told the command centre will remain on the Island,” he said.
“We also talked at length about the new OPP detachment building on the Island,” said Mayor Lane. He said Manitoulin OPP Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Kevin Webb “claims he doesn’t know where the new building is going to go and that the final decision is going to be made by Infrastructure Ontario.” He said that if Gore Bay is not chosen as the site for the new OPP detachment, that the current Gore Bay detachment should remain. “Sergeant Webb told us if we want to provide input on the location for the new building we should do this through him. As for going to our MPP (Michael Mantha), it would be hard for him to be in favour of one area over another (in relation to the new detachment location.”
“The final decision has to be logical,” stated Councillor Osborne. “I think they have already made their mind up and that it will not be logical and could change where the centre of the district is, now that it includes Espanola as well. That is why we need to be more involved and provide our input.”
Councillor Osborne said with the Manitoulin OPP area now including Espanola, it may be logical to have the new detachment located in Billings or Central Manitoulin as they would be more centrally located for the whole area.
“I would suggest that regardless, we should still have a detachment in Gore Bay, it has holding cells, administration here and the court house is in Gore Bay,” said Mayor Lane. He told council Staff Sergeant Webb said, “Gore Bay has a really good chance for some type of detachment presence, especially since it serves the rest of Western Manitoulin.”
The new detachment to be built for Manitoulin will become the new command centre, said Mayor Lane. “Once a final decision on the location is made they will have to look at the remaining detachments on the Island. If council wants to send a letter or resolution indicating that we want the current detachment to remain, let’s do that.”
“I just don’t want us to lose the police presence and office that we have,” said Councillor Osborne. “Logically the new office should not go to the other end (east end) of the Island. It is logical for our (OPP) office to remain here, for the west end of the Island.”
“He (Staff Sergeant Webb) said it would not make sense for all the officers from the east end of the Island having to go to a new detachment on Western Manitoulin,” said Councillor Osborne, who added that is the same case for officers from Western Manitoulin having to report to an east end location.
“If the new detachment location is in Central Manitoulin or Billings, we need to make sure the worst case scenario for us is to keep the current detachment building here, at the same size, capacity and providing the same services,” said Mayor Lane. “If the new office is located in NEMI (Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands) then there is more chance of (the Gore Bay) office remaining here.”
Councillor Jack Clark said no one seems to know where the new office is going to be located at this point. “How can we put a case forward to have our detachment remain here until we know where the new office is going to be located. No one is putting information out to municipalities for our input, so far.”
“Other than the fact they are going to be constructing a new OPP detachment building on Manitoulin Island I don’t see much change in the status quo,” offered Mayor Lane. He explained, “the Little Current detachment is basically run out of a house that was outdated (years ago) and is currently the OPP centre of administration. The gain in staff might be one or two more people, so there may be a gain of a couple of administration-staff members.”
“The real change will take place when they (OPP) look at the other three detachments on the Island,” suggested Mayor Lane. He explained “the detachment office here has been upgraded, has holding cells and is close to court services here in Gore Bay. So I really don’t have any issue with the new building going into Little Current. I’m agreeing with Jack (Clark) that basically we want to make sure we keep what we already have here.”
“I just don’t want us to lose what we have,” stated Councillor Osborne.
While Mayor Lane suggested a personal letter could be sent along with a resolution from council, or both, Councillor Clark said the problem is trying to push the town’s case forward when everything is unknown.
“Without supporting another location for the new office, I would like to see our detachment in Gore Bay remain in its present form,” said Councillor Osborne. “Once the new command centre location is determined, if it isn’t Gore Bay, I want to see the detachment remain here and providing the current services.”
“I can’t believe they would build a new command centre and keep all the current detachments on the Island,” said Councillor Clark. “Someone is going to lose.”
Mayor Lane noted, “the fact that Espanola has been added to the Manitoulin detachment area changes the whole argument about what is central. The command centre will remain on the Island, but include Espanola as well.”
Council passed a resolution authorizing a letter be sent to the premier of Ontario, Ontario Solicitor General, Infrastructure Ontario, the Superintendent of Northeast Region (OPP) and OPP Staff Sergeant Webb stating that if Gore Bay is not chosen as the main command centre, that the detachment in Gore Bay should remain its present size and capacity, at its current location, to provide services to all of Western Manitoulin, given its large geographical area and support service to Ontario Court House judicial system.
A decision on the location of the new Manitoulin detachment office is expected later this year.
