Work is underway on the Bracebridge OPP’s new detachment.
It will be constructed at 690 Cedar Ln., which is where the current building is located.
Insp. Wade Beebe, detachment commander for the Bracebridge OPP, expects construction to start in 2026 with the building operational by 2028.
Currently, he says they’re working with Infrastructure Ontario to do various studies, including looking into endangered species that may be in the area.
“We’re well underway and we’re very excited for it,” he says about the future facility.
With the work being done around the current building, Beebe says there will be no interruptions to how police service the community. “It’s the infrastructure that’s going to change,” he explains. “We’re going to have more space.”
The new facility will have two floors.
Beebe shares 12 officers joined the detachment this year, which puts them over 80 front-line members for the first time in decades. The new facility will give them plenty of room for the current officers and room to bring in more.
“It will be a lengthy build,” says Beebe. “It will be anywhere from 18 months to two years.”
He told Gravenhurst council in June 2024 how the police have outgrown the current building, which he said was built in 1957.
Also at the meeting, council agreed to set aside $5,000 for downtown businesses who wish to install cameras and register for the CAMSafe program.
At the time, he said the program, increase in police presence, and future detachment are part of a continued focus on community policing.
When speaking with the MyMuskokaNow.com newsroom, Beebe reiterated that the community-first policy, “will continue to be a top priority.”
