BONNYVILLE – The MD of Bonnyville has added its name to the list of municipalities speaking out against a provincial police force.
Council passed a motion to pen a letter to Alberta’s Justice and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu, along with Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA David Hanson, outlining why they believe the RCMP should stay in the province.
The Fair Deal Panel made a recommendation to the Alberta government create an Alberta Police Service to replace the RCMP.
After hearing from another municipality that also voiced opposition against the provincial government’s assessment into a possible transition from RCMP to a provincial police service, Coun. Marc Jubinville said council should let their position be known.
“I’m thinking we need to... echo that (sentiment). That’s where I’m coming from, I don’t know what the rest of council feels, but I think it’s a total waste of money for them to go any further with this,” he said during council’s March 10 meeting.
Coun. Ben Fadeyiw agreed. “Their survey or study was very stained when you take the City of Edmonton and City of Calgary and (City of) Lethbridge into your survey asking about the RCMP service. I think that’s very sad and skewed. It’s not very transparent on the province’s part and my disappointment just keeps continuing on.”
All three of the municipalities mentioned by Fadeyiw that were included in the province’s survey have their own police forces.
Reeve Greg Sawchuk believes there was crucial information left out by the Alberta government.
“It certainly doesn’t look like the province took into account the added costs, in regards to replacing the RCMP,” he noted.
The MD wasn’t the only local municipality to voice its opposition to a provincial police force. Town of Bonnyville council passed a motion to write a letter to Madu during a Feb. 23 meeting saying they were against the possibility of replacing the RCMP.
