New Regina police headquarters hosts flag-raising ceremony ahead of opening to public next week
CBC
The Regina Police Service announced the completion of the first phase of its new headquarters campus with a flag-raising ceremony and drum circle performance Thursday morning.
RPS said it plans to open the building to the public next week, but could not give an exact date.
The new headquarters — which have been under construction for two years — are located in the former Saskatchewan Transit Company Regina Terminal at 1717 Saskatchewan Dr.
Police say the building is meant to keep all law enforcement under one roof, improve efficiency in the force and be more accessible to the public.
"The flag-raising this morning felt very powerful and this ultimately is going to be a very good welcoming space for community to come to interact with our officers and ultimately to work together to find ways to build a safer community," said outgoing Chief of Police Evan Bray.
Bray also said the private rooms in the new facility will benefit the public.
"It's going to provide safe places for people to come and report sometimes most of the most challenging or violent or traumatizing situations that they'll ever go through," he said.
"And sometimes when you're sharing intimate details about a sexual assault, you don't need the person that's next to you reporting a stolen car to hear all the details of what you're talking about."
He said the previous headquarters were too small to facilitate that privacy.
"As the headquarters of this essential organization, it's important for this building to be both welcoming and accessible to anyone that visits. As a point of contact for residents, this beautiful space, well-designed [and] well though-out, will help foster this," said Regina Mayor Sandra Masters.
Police said most public services will be accessible through the new Link building which sits at ground level, while the old headquarters building required the public to enter through an elevated main door.
The building has solar panels to offset a portion of the facility's energy needs, which officials said will result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
The RPS campus development project will likely cost $50.4 million, with the final phase to be completed in 2025. In the coming years, the municipal justice building will be turned into a mixed-use space and renovations will be made to the east headquarters.
Bray said he understands there are a lot of issues in Regina that could use money and that he has heard the concerns of the public about the more than $50 million budget, but he feels this project is worth it. Bray said having all law enforcement under one roof is financially efficient.
Police have charged another man in connection with a 2023 gold heist at Pearson airport, saying he was arrested after flying into the country on Monday.
Documents show the Ontario government has already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on external legal fees to fight a successful legal challenge — which the province is appealing this month — against its plan to remove bike lanes on major Toronto streets
Gulf Island Peat Moss is monitoring a waste pile of shavings on its property in Foxley River after the pile caught fire Monday morning, a company representative says.
Officials from the London, Ont., and several neighbouring counties will push the Ford government for improved passenger rail service in the region when they meet with the Ontario government at a conference in Toronto this month.
A provincial court judge has issued a stern warning to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary to “rethink their approach” when it comes to dealing with complaints of threats and harassment in intimate partner relationships.
Some provincial funding targeted to struggling rural hospitals in the northeast is a boon but some CEO’s say it falls short of keeping them afloat.
A Ukrainian family in Halifax says the federal government needs to provide answers to the thousands of Ukrainians who are now learning that it could be more than 50 years before their permanent residency applications are processed.
On a cold January morning, the owners of Yassou Souvlaki & Donair in Fredericton are busy heating up the kitchen, slicing vegetables and donair meat to prepare for their lunch-hour crowd.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the CN Police Service are investigating following a train collision overnight in Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska, Que.
Six months after being displaced to a long-term care facility hundreds of kilometres away from his family, Jimmy Spence is holding out hope his days as an evacuee are numbered.
Saskatchewan women ages 43 and older can now sign up for mammogram screening without a doctor’s referral as part of a phased approach to get the eligibility age down to 40 by June.
Some schools, health centres and provincial civil service offices delayed opening or closed for the day on Monday due to weather conditions.
As a seasonal parking ban comes into effect on Edmonton’s residential roads this week, one councillor is concerned about how the city’s failure to fund towing teams will play out on city streets.