THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay’s city council has approved $2.4 million to advance work on a new police headquarters, while a push to fully commit to the $56 million project fell short Tuesday, as council approved the 2022 budget.
The Thunder Bay Police Services Board withdrew its request for full funding last week, saying it needed to first address an internal leadership crisis, with a call to investigate police administration from Ontario's Solicitor General, a flurry of human rights complaints, and the suspension of deputy chief Ryan Hughes for unknown reasons.
Instead, the board asked for $2.4 million to fund project management, design, site analysis, and purchasing a property.
“The timing just isn’t great – we obviously have some challenges within the police service that we’re working through internally, I don’t think anyone can deny that,” said Coun. Kristen Oliver, who also chairs the police services board.
Council flirted with the idea of approving a $56 million debenture anyway Tuesday, but ultimately voted 8-4 to remove it from the budget.
Mayor Bill Mauro, who also sits on the police board, questioned council’s eagerness to spend, when the board itself was no longer seeking the funds.
“It’s important to restate the board did vote on this twice, and twice the board thought not including the $56 million at this time was the appropriate way to go,” he said.
Coun. Aldo Ruberto asked if the board had simply backed down over fears the leadership crisis would endanger political support at council.
“I would support going forward with the whole project,” he said. “Maybe they were wondering at the time that there was no support around council."
It's a theory seemingly confirmed by the invitation to last week’s police board meeting, called “to discuss whether or not the board should withdraw [or] modify its capital budget ask for the building given the political uncertainty of council approval," according to an email shared by board secretary John Hannam.
In an interview, Mauro disputed that characterization, adding Hannam is “not the spokesperson” for the board.
“We’re not pulling our support as a board because of what council’s going to do,” he said, noting he himself is opposed to the project.
On Tuesday, however, Coun. Kristen Oliver said the decision was made at least in part to avoid putting council in an awkward position.
“The board was really struggling with how do we make this palatable” to council, she said.
Mauro said the $2.4 million would deliver more details to a hesitant council, without tying it to an “iron-clad guarantee” of approval.
The mayor called it a reasonable outlay on a project that will ultimately cost the city over $80 million.
With interest, payments on a $56 million debenture would amount to $84 million over 25 years, confirmed city treasurer Linda Evans.
Mauro argued that figure could well increase, given the current estimate has a 25 per cent confidence range, and that it's expected to cost several million more to comply with the city's new Net-Zero Strategy.
“We’re talking about a $100 million project, potentially,” he said.
While the project is debated, police officers and civilian staff are working in substandard conditions, all parties seemed to agree.
“In the last two weeks, a lot of things have hit our media,” said Coun. Andrew Foulds. “There’s a process for looking into that, and I have some confidence in those processes.”
“But I totally see that as something different" from the need for a new headquarters, he said. “I believe that in this time of turmoil what we can be is supportive of the workers, and send them a clear message that we’ve got their backs.”
Coun. Shelby Ch’ng argued a better facility was one way to help restore respect for police.
“Really, in my eight years on council, I’ve seen nothing but the undermining of police authority,” she said. “We need to somehow regain the authority of the police and bring back the sanctity of the uniform. I believe this building is completely intertwined with the issues we’re facing… it’s a huge part in how we police in Thunder Bay.”
“The police protect us from the chaos, and we’re setting up an unfair advantage… to the predators that come in from Southern Ontario.”
Coun. Cody Fraser said it’s clear police, who he called “the first line of defence” in upholding Canadians’ freedoms, need better working conditions, based on a recent visit.
“If people from the community had the opportunity to explore it like we did, I think they’d be embarrassed,” he said. “I think they’d be upset.”
One staff member has a desk consisting of plywood installed over a former sink, he said.
“The band-aid solutions we keep doing to this building are just no longer feasible,” police chief Sylvie Hauth told councillors. “We just keep kicking issues down the road. This building is no longer a want – it’s a need, and it’s a need that’s pressing. And the longer we wait, the more expensive [it gets].”
Construction costs typically increase by 2.5 to 3.5 per cent a year, city staff estimated. Some councillors dismissed that as an inflationary increase, while others said it underlined the need to act now.
“There's just no question, we need a new campus – and if we dither, it’s going to cost citizens more,” said Foulds.
“I don’t think there’s a doubt” a new station is needed, agreed Coun. Albert Aiello.
However, he shared Mauro’s discomfort over cost, and said he still had many questions about the vision for the building.
“If you start adding all of [the costs] up, and just assume we’re going to have overruns, we have one hell of an expensive building,” he said. “I’m not debating the fact we need a facility, because we do, but I feel we’ve sort of lost our voice in terms of what this is going to look like.”
Couns. Rebecca Johnson and Mark Bentz argued the public had demonstrated clear opposition to the project through budget feedback.
“They want less investment in police services, that’s coming across loud and clear,” said Johnson. “I think the community needs to know we have heard them. I don’t know if councillors have read all of those surveys. But that is there, and the community is saying no.”
“We’re looking at an $84 million bill? Oh my goodness,” she added.
Coun. Peng You said what little public consultation had been conducted was insufficient.
Police held one public engagement session in December 2019, attended by 25 to 30 people, and a single-question survey on the city’s Get Involved website, completed by 68 people.
Council voted 8-4 to remove the $56 million from the budget, with Aiello, Bentz, Giertuga, Hamilton, Johnson, Oliver, You, and Mauro in favour, and Ch’ng, Foulds, Fraser, and Ruberto opposed.
Council then voted 8-4 to add $2.4 million, with Aiello, Ch’ng, Foulds, Fraser, Hamilton, Oliver, Ruberto, and Mauro in favour, and Bentz, Giertuga, Johnson, and You opposed.
That will come from the Renew Thunder Bay fund, despite not meeting its eligibility criteria. City treasurer Linda Evans said with insufficient funds in the city’s general capital reserve, it was the next best option.
“When it comes to available capital reserve funds, this is really it,” she said.
