West Nipissing's new OPP detachment is coming along as planned and is slated for completion at the end of July. Police will be fully moved into the building by August’s end.
“Things are going very well according to timelines,” explained Detachment Commander Michael Maville, who has been overseeing the project since the beginning.
“A lot of the items required are already on site,” he said, and “furniture is pre-ordered,” so the move should go rather smoothly.
“Requests were made well in advance” for necessary materials, which turned out to be insightful, as Covid could have disrupted necessary supplies.
Fortunately, nothing of the sort occurred, although a paint delivery was postponed due to the Texas ice storms in February.
In June 2019, the OPP took over policing in West Nipissing, and since that time, have been working in a temporary office at 216 John Street.
See: West Nipissing Community Policing office only temporary
“It’s still going well,” at the temporary location, Maville said, “and we’re using it to it’s operational capacity,” however, there is no option to house prisoners at the site, and residents have been unable to receive criminal record checks.
Trips to Warren or North Bay were necessary, and “we’re looking forward to getting into the building to give that full operational experience to both the officers and the community members who have been put out a little bit.”
See: Records checks first to go as local West Nipissing police prepare to close their cop shop
The building located in Cache Bay will provide full service to the community. “Anything you expect to get at an OPP detachment is exactly what you’ll get here at West Nipissing,” Maville said.
There is also ample space for administrative personnel, operational space for front line constables and sergeants, large offices for the Crime Unit detectives who work as a team, and jail cells.
Offices will have the ability “to conduct breath tests right on site for impaired drivers, take fingerprints,” and provide criminal record checks to the community.
Although Covid may affect the plan, “we are hopeful that we can have a grand opening,” once they are all moved in, Maville said, adding he looks forward to showing the building to the OPP Commissioner, the Minister of the Solicitor General, Mayor Joanne Savage, and others who have helped support the project.
“It’s definitely worth seeing,” he enthused, adding that although you can’t tell from driving by, “there’s been a lot of work done” inside the building, with only the finishing touches remaining.
“It’s just a beautiful building, inside and out,” Maville said, and he is looking forward to moving into the new home base.
See: OPP looking back on first year in West Nipissing — and forward to new headquarters
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
