Ontario opens new Orillia OPP detachment

Ontario is building a safer community in Orillia with a new, $20-million Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachment with the leading-edge equipment and technology needed to meet the complex demands of modern police operations. Solicitor General Sylvia Jones and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Commissioner Thomas Carrique were in Orillia today to officially celebrate the opening of the detachment.

“Our government continues to deliver on the promise to build safer communities across Ontario, including here in Orillia,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones in a press release.

“This new state-of-the-art detachment not only provides OPP officers with the tools they need to better serve and protect the people of Orillia and surrounding communities, it also provides them with the tools they need to do their jobs safely.”

The Orillia detachment provides approximately 34,000 square feet of space, a modern infrastructure design to support ever-changing technology requirements including facilities to secure evidence, 12 holding cells, closed-circuit television technology and other advanced security features.

“Through the building of this new $20 million Ontario Provincial Police detachment in Orillia, our government is investing in making our homes safer,” said Jill Dunlop, Member of Provincial Parliament for Simcoe North, in a press release.

“As our region continues to develop and grow, we need police services that can meet the complex and increased demands of our communities, and today’s announcement is making that possible.”

“This new and modern detachment, equipped with a Collision Reporting Centre, is helping our uniform, civilian and auxiliary members continue to deliver on their commitment to keep our residents and communities safe,” said OPP Commissioner, Thomas Carrique, in a press release

The detachment is part of the province’s OPP Modernization – Phase 2 project, announced in 2018, to replace aging OPP facilities across the province that are at the end of their lifespan and no longer meet the requirements of today’s police operations. The project, which initially consisted of nine detachments with a budget of $182 million, was re-evaluated at $201 million last June to accommodate the construction of a tenth detachment in Cambridge.

“Infrastructure projects like this new OPP detachment are essential to the safety and security of our communities,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure, in a press release.

“We will continue to work with communities like Orillia to invest in local priorities and build, renew and modernize the infrastructure that our law enforcement frontline heroes and the people of Ontario rely on to stay safe.”