Plans to create a new police headquarters for the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP are moving forward, according to an announcement made by North Cowichan today.
The new headquarters would house the RCMP detachment, Forensic Identification Services, South Island Traffic Services, and First Nations Policing all in one building on Ford Road at Drinkwater Road.
While the move has been cleared by both municipalities and the BC RCMP, one last federal approval is required before a final occupancy agreement with the municipality can be signed.
“The existing North Cowichan/Duncan Detachment is well past the end of its life,” said Mayor Al Siebring in a release. “The building has had ongoing issues with rodents, leaking, flooding, and lack of adequate space.”
The detachment was supposed to have a new headquarters back in 2012, but was delayed multiple times.
“Council is very pleased to see the project moving forward,” said Siebring.
The new headquarters would be built by North Cowichan with funding from the RCMP. Since the principle agreement was reached, work has begun on preliminary designs for the building and the approximate cost of construction.
Designs for the building are meant to be able to serve the community for the next 50 years. Federal approval is expected before the end of 2019, but the “timing is approximate”.
