The City of Fort St. John, in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), celebrated the opening of the new net-zero Fort St. John RCMP Detachment, located at 10712 – 100 Street.

“We are immensely proud to mark this significant milestone in our community’s history with the opening of the new Fort St. John RCMP Detachment. This collaborative effort not only enhances our city’s safety and security but also underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Mayor Lilia Hansen.

Replacing the aging 35-year-old detachment, the newly constructed $51.4 million RCMP Detachment boasts a contemporary design, featuring innovative mass timber construction and a 145-kilowatt photovoltaic system. It is anticipated that the detachment will outperform traditional builds by consuming over 80 per cent less energy, equating to annual savings exceeding $60,000.

This groundbreaking endeavour adopted an integrated design process, where a team of professionals, including architects, engineers, and project managers, work collaboratively to design the building. This values-based approach, instead of a cost-based approach seen in typical construction projects, leads to greater efficiencies, improved designs, and higher quality projects.

The Fort St. John RCMP Detachment houses more than 90 employees, including a combined total of 65 police officers from both municipally and provincially funded units, and 25 support staff.

The City of Fort St. John, through the Peace River Agreement, funded the majority of the project, with the RCMP contributing through annual lease payments. This project was also fortunate to secure a $1.5 million grant from the Green Municipal Fund – funded by the Government of Canada, and administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.