Meaford council has given initial approval to a recommendation for staff to enter into negotiations for a potential build of a new OPP detachment in the municipality.
“Municipal Staff have been contacted by authorized representatives of the Grey Bruce Ontario Provincial Police Detachment to request the consideration of the Municipality of Meaford to collaborate in the potential development of a new Detachment Facility in the Municipality,” staff advised in a report to council presented on Monday, May 25. “The OPP Infrastructure Team has identified a range of limitations with the current facilities and have a strong desire to have a Meaford Detachment maintained for coverage and Police Services and presence in the entire Municipality. The Municipality does hold the lease of this space for the OPP Detachment until May 31, 2028.”
A new detachment would come at a significant cost. The report to council suggests that the total cost could be $20 million.
“A key element of this opportunity that requires full clarity and transparency is that the OPP, when considering these Facilities builds, look to have the Municipality provide the land and the building to then enter a lease with the Municipality. The OPP does not typically own the structures or the land for the new builds. Therefore, staff want to ensure that Council and the public are fully aware that consideration of the recommendation contained in this report does require a significant investment and the addition of a structure that would include additional ongoing maintenance and repair to that structure and the property,” noted the staff report. “The Lands that have been identified as the Property of Interest is the Commercial Land that was purchased in late 2025. The property was purchased at a price of $1,675,000. The cost of the servicing, construction and outfitting of a new OPP Detachment under the proposed request would be funded by the municipality and leased to the OPP.”
While the cost to build a new detachment would be significant, staff noted that the project would be ‘heavily reliant’ on provincial funding.
“Based on a High-Level review of other OPP Detachment Build staff suggest that this project would result in a Full Capital Project Cost of approximately $20,000,000 based on a suggested 17,500 sq. ft. design that is typical of a modernized OPP Detachment Build. The general sq. ft. costs for a turnkey facility for OPP is $1,000 per sq. ft.,” staff noted in their report to council. “Staff note that this project would be heavily reliant on the Province providing funding to assist the Municipality in offsetting a portion of the costs, however staff acknowledge that the municipality will be responsible for a significant amount of costs both in the development and construction of the facility and the ongoing capital replacement costs throughout the life of the facility. Additionally, staff note that there is a potential increase to OPP costs in the future above its typical increase if additional OPP services are provided.”
Mayor Ross Kentner suggested that the proposed detachment could kick-start the creating access to and servicing of the industrial lands recently purchased by the municipality.
“There’s a lot of comfort in a 25-year lease,” Mayor Kentner told council. “Rather than sterilizing our industrial land, would the project actually kick-start access and servicing of our new commercial area?”
CAO Shawn Everitt agreed that it would.
“I think so,” Everitt responded. “I think having something concrete on the commercial land will give more give more clarity for the industrial lands, and moving that forward. I think as well that getting servicing to that property would then kick-start the servicing of the industrial zone as well.”
Council voted 6-0 in favour of the recommendation to begin formal discussions and negotiations with the OPP regarding the potential new detachment.
