Sault Ste. Marie just the latest northern Ontario municipality to consider the OPP in order to save money
Social Sharing
Many towns and cities across northeastern Ontario have their eye on Sault Ste. Marie, as that city considers a switch to provincial police.
Sault city council asked this week for a report detailing how much it might save if it disbanded its city police force and hired the OPP.
Several small towns across the region have made that move over the years.
Wawa swapped its local police for the OPP in 2011, hoping to save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
But Mayor Melanie Pilon says costs have been rising sharply in recent years, with an initial 68 per cent increase for 2025 softened by one-time funding from the provincial government.
"Policing is very expensive, but it's something that every community needs to have and that's why it's a much larger conversation that we need to have, about how the province can take on the lion's share of these costs," said Pilon.
The West Nipissing police service was disbanded in 2019 when the municipality hired the OPP.
Mayor Kathleen Thorne Rochon says so far it's been cheaper for taxpayers and the savings allowed them to build a new police station.
"You know, when you're running an independent organization with just 20 officers, everything's a lot more expensive. We do find that so far the transition has been great for us."
Thorne Rochon says she is worried about the "significant" increase in the policing bill this past year.
West Nipissing was one of several towns that got a grant from the province to cover the difference, but she says she does "worry" about how much protecting the community will cost in 2026.
Josh Teresinski, the president of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Association, says he's not concerned about city council's plans to explore what it would cost to switch to the OPP.
"I'm pretty confident," he said.
"I don't want to say 100 per cent but, when you look at just the numbers right off the bat with the collective agreement and the benefits, your starting point with officers and civilian staff goes up right at the beginning."
The association represents 68 civilian employees and 168 police officers.
Teresinski says if the city were to disband the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service and sign an agreement with the OPP, it would be the civilian members who would be at the greatest risk of losing their jobs.
"Our local dispatch, they may transfer them over, but they'd have to move out of the Sault to North Bay, as I believe that is where their dispatch is," he said.
Teresinski says he understands the councillors' motivation to find savings by potentially switching to another police service, but he says those costs should be similar once the accounting is done.
"I'm excited to see what their costing is and I'm pretty confident that it's going to be around the same cost as long as they're open and transparent about what the public is going to get," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Eby says it's not him blocking Smith's oil pipeline, it's lack of money and proponent
B.C. Premier David Eby speaks during an announcement in Vancouver, on Monday, May 26, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck British Columbia Premier David Eby says it's not him standing in the way of Alberta counterpart Danielle Smith's longed-for oil pipeline from Alberta to B.C.'s north coast — it's that there's no proponent, no money and 'no project right now.' It's Eby's latest rebuff to the idea, coming after Smith said on Sunday she could convince him to allow such a pipeline. Eby says that if Smith succeeds in finding a proponent and funding, and assembles a project, then B.C. 'will certainly cross that bridge.' But he says there are already 'countless projects' that B.C. could work on with Alberta to create prosperity in Western Canada. Eby was speaking at a news conference on Monday from Seoul, South Korea, the final stop on a 10-day trade tour through Asia that has also included Japan and Malaysia. Asked about B.C.'s green light last week for a Prince Rupert gas pipeline, Eby said the province was not 'in the business of turning away investments' — but wouldn't speculate whether that applied to an oil pipeline from Alberta. Eby added that he understands Smith is 'keen' on such a project, just as Ontario Premier Doug Ford is 'keen on tunnel underneath the 401.' This report by Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press, was first published June 9, 2025.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
G7 Summit fast approaching, with security and showcasing Calgary top of mind
The 2025 G7 Leaders' Summit will be held in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17, 2025. Final preparations for the G7 Leaders Summit in Kananaskis are underway, with leaders of some of the world's largest economies set to arrive in Alberta in less than a week. In Calgary, where most of the delegates will arrive, the city has tightened security and is ready to roll out the red carpet to visitors. 'It's important that our country's leader – and the world – understand that Calgary is not only the economic engine of Canada, but a global hub for safe, secure and responsible energy,' said Mayor Jyoti Gondek. Gondek will welcome and meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Calgary on the weekend, she added. A welcome package from the city will be handed out to dignitaries coming through Calgary, featuring Rosso Coffee, Rocky Mountain Soap products, Longview buffalo jerky and more. The customary Smithbilt white cowboy hats will also be given to world leaders, but there will not be formal ceremonies for the city's signature handout. 'We need to respect that security considerations today are very different from when we last hosted the Summit in 2002,' Gondek said. Economic boost The mayor explained 70 heads of government and international organizations, 2,000 delegates and 1,400 journalists are expected in the area for the G7. An estimated 10,000 hotel bookings are tied to the Leaders Summit, while some military and security personnel are staying at both Mount Royal University and University of Calgary residences. According to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, the G7 could generate upwards of $190 million in economic activity for the city alone, and up to $240 million across Alberta. 'This is a boost for tourism, hospitality and small business and is a signal to global investors that Calgary is open for business,' said president and CEO Deborah Yedlin. Tight security, closures With the influx of high-profile visitors and tourists, security will be tight in Calgary and all the way to Kananaskis. Thousands of police officers, RCMP members, military personnel and other security agencies will be all over the city and into the mountain village. in the Kananaskis area, a Controlled Access Zone where only authorized personnel, residents and businesses will be allowed will start Tuesday and run until June 18. Many of the trails, campgrounds and day-use areas in the provincial park will be closed, too. 'Anyone wishing to enter the access area is going to have to go through a checkpoint. And there's going to be, of course, some pedestrian and vehicle searches to make sure that anyone that comes in,' said Sgt. Charles Poirier with the RCMP. 'The logistical component of an endeavor such as a G7 is massive,' he added. Calgary police say people should expect to see regular motorcades through the city, adding that road closures – especially in the downtown area around protest zones – will be frequent. At the Calgary International Airport, no stopping zones will be in place along 36 Street NE. and Aero Drive N.E. for the duration of the summit and the Airport Tunnel will be closed. 'There will be some road closures and visible security enhancements, but the airport will be fully operational and open to the travelling public,' said Chris Dinsdale with the Calgary Airport Authority. Travellers are encouraged to head to the airport earlier than normal to ensure they arrive on time. A designated protest zone will be established near the airport, at 15 Street and Aviation Road N.E., which will also be the only place plane spotters are allowed to observe aircraft during the summit. The city has also designated two additional areas for protestors -- one at City Hall, the other in the East Victoria Park area along Macleod Trail.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Ottawa should scrap restrictive electric-vehicle regulations, GM Canada's CEO says
Canada should scrap the rule that will require one in five vehicles sold in 2026 to be powered by an electric battery, the head of General Motors Canada GM-N says, warning that no traditional automaker is close to that threshold. Twenty per cent of new car sales in 2026 must be battery-powered, an amount that rises to 60 per cent by 2030, according to federal regulations introduced in 2022 intended to limit the effects of climate change caused by carbon emissions. By 2035, all passenger vehicles sold must be EVs. In 2024, 13.8 per cent of new vehicles sold, or roughly one in seven, were EVs, according to Statistics Canada. Kristian Aquilina, president of GM Canada, said next year's targets are unattainable for GM and its competitors. The 60-per-cent mandate will lead to such unintended consequences as restricted sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars and booming sales of older gas guzzlers, Mr. Aquilina said. He wants the entire program ended. Opinion: Canada's electric vehicle strategy has failed, and there are lessons to learn Opinion: The real threat to Canada auto isn't Trump. It's our own government forcing EVs on us Speaking at an event hosted by The Globe and Mail in Toronto, he pointed to a diminishing patchwork of incentives and subsidies for EVs and the lack of investment in charging stations. The federal government and provinces including Ontario and Quebec have paused, dropped or reduced subsidies and incentives to buy zero-emissions vehicles. 'When these mandates came into play, there was an understanding that there would be some investment in infrastructure as well as consumer incentives to help with the affordability,' Mr. Aquilina said. 'Some of those haven't [happened] or have stopped.' EV sales in March fell 45 per cent compared with a year earlier, even as overall sales rose by 9 per cent, Statscan said. EVs accounted for 6.5 per cent of sales. 'It's unrealistic to believe that the country is going to go from 5 or 6 per cent to 20 per cent by model year ′26, which starts now,' Mr. Aquilina said in an interview. 'So that will force us to have to restrict the ability to sell ICE vehicles and there's dealership jobs all around the country reliant on those, there's manufacturing jobs relying on those.' Mr. Aquilina said the slumping government support for EVs is depressing their sales at a time when consumers are still adjusting to the new technologies. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said in May that the federal government will bring back the EV incentive program, which gave car buyers $5,000 rebates for zero-emissions vehicles and $2,500 for hybrid gas-electric vehicles. Joanna Kanga, a spokeswoman for Ms. Joly, did not address questions about any plans to alter or drop the EV mandates. 'The federal government is working hard to make sure that Canada's auto sector is able to compete over the long term by building EV supply chains here at home,' she said in an e-mail. 'Collaboration with the sector will remain essential to drive the innovation necessary to achieve our goals.' Global electric-car sales rose by 25 per cent to more than 17 million in 2024, according to the International Energy Agency, but growth is slowing in the United States, a key market for automakers. The shift has prompted industry players to rethink some of the large investments they have made in supply chains, assembly lines and battery plants. Honda Canada last month said it has postponed its $15-billion EV and battery project in Ontario. Stellantis NV delayed production of the electric Dodge Charger R/T in Windsor, Ont. Meanwhile, Ford Motor Co. scrapped plans last year to make EVs in Oakville, Ont. The plant west of Toronto will instead make gas-powered pickup trucks when it reopens, with plans for an electric version later on.
