MANITOULIN—The idea of the Manitoulin detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) adding the Espanola OPP station to its fold (currently Little Current, Manitowaning, Mindemoya and Gore Bay) is currently in the consultative phase with Manitoulin OPP Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Kevin Webb attending a meeting of the Manitoulin Municipal Association this week to discuss realigning detachment boundaries.
“Head office will remain in Little Current.”
Staff Sgt. Webb told The Expositor that making Espanola a satellite detachment office of Manitoulin is just in the consultative phase among local mayors, reeves, councillors and officers, but if it were to go ahead, it would mean no changes to Island operations with the exception of adding resources.
It all comes down to fiscal responsibility, Staff Sgt. Webb explained. “This has been in the air for awhile. Espanola is a natural fit for us.” Currently, the Espanola detachment falls under the Sudbury detachment.
“Nothing would happen soon—it’s a process,” he added, noting that it will also require the blessing of the province. “But nothing changes here. Head office will remain in Little Current.”
When asked if this had any bearing on talks in recent years of possible Island detachment closures, the staff sergeant said it did not, nor are those talks on the table anymore. “Long term, we will need to upgrade the facilities and, if at that time we need to build new detachments, there could be discussion as to where to build,” he said, but reiterated that this would be long term.
