Jasper’s RCMP detachment could be relocated next to the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre within the next 5 years, according to RCMP Sgt. Rick Bidaisee.
He made the comments during a committee-of-the-whole meeting Oct. 25.
According to Bidaisee, the RCMP is working with Parks Canada to rezone two plots of land east of the Sawridge Inn from “community reserve” to “institutional,” a requirement before a new police station could be built.
“It’s a work in progress,” said Bidaisee, explaining it’s only a proposal at this time.
Parks Canada also confirmed the plans.
“Parks Canada can confirm that discussions have commenced to rezone a piece of property in Jasper’s east end to accommodate the RCMP,” wrote Joseph Zebrowski, a communication officer with Parks Canada.
According to the RCMP’s plans, the old detachment will be decommissioned once the new detachment is built, which could still be three to five years away.
One of the major areas of concern during the discussion involved housing.
According to Bidaisee, the new police station will not include housing despite the current detachment offering barracks-style housing for two of its officers.
“The RCMP is trying to get away from housing,” said Bidaisee. “We do have some detachments that still require housing, but that number is starting to be reduced and Jasper is one of those situations.”
He said the RCMP also has a limited budget when it comes to building new detachments and barracks-style housing makes it difficult to attract experienced officers to Jasper.
“It’s basically a bachelor suite, more or less,” Bidaisee said, about the barracks-style housing.
“It limits our ability to attract experienced members and it limits our ability to attract family-type membership coming to the detachment.”
Several councillors expressed their concern about the impact the loss of housing could have on the town’s tight housing supply.
“I’m not convinced that any loss of housing of any kind in our community is acceptable,” said Coun. Dwain Wacko. “I understand your problems, but I can not endorse what you are proposing.”
Coun. Gilbert Wall shared similar feelings.
“From my perspective having the barracks-style accommodation available is still liberating those two spaces from the community at large so it’s important,” said Wall.
“The problems that we have in this community in terms of accommodation, normally two doesn’t seem to make a difference, but here it does.”
Mayor Richard Ireland said the proposed location made sense operationally, because it was closer to the highway and not in a residential area, but he also had concerns about the loss of housing.
“For all of our needs we have limited land and a hard boundary around our town so although we can understand the need for a new detachment building, the community itself doesn’t want to lose more housing and it can’t afford to lose anymore land,” said Ireland.
He also said he would like the municipality to be involved when the old detachment is decommissioned because the community has a stake in what happens to that land.
“It could be important to have it zoned residential reserve rather than community reserve if it comes back into the community,” said Ireland.
Bidaisee acknowledged council’s concern and said he would share the information with the RCMP’s asset management department.
Paul Clarke
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