It’s always nice to work near home, but at what cost?.The RCMP are coming under fire for declining to comment on a $5 million budget expenditure to build a three-bedroom house next to a detachment in rural BC, says Blacklock’s Reporter..While this price may not raise eyebrows in Vancouver or Toronto’s housing market, the cost of housing in the area the RCMP chose is three times under the lowest seven-figure budget proposed by the RCMP..In a notice to contractors, the RCMP looked for someone “to assist with insurance and bonding requirements, this project is estimated to cost between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.” The reason why this cost was needed to cover the infrastructure was never given..The intended location of the house is in New Aiyansh, BC on Nisga’a First Nation lands near the RCMP compound. New Aiyansh is 240 km northeast of Prince Rupert..Housing prices in northern BC average less than $400,000 ($382,000) according to the Canadian Real Estate Association..The house “will be a wood framed structure,” said RCMP staff..According to the initial proposal, the plans did not include anything unusually large or expensive. Ordinary roofing shingles and a driveway are set to be used..RCMP staff went on to provide more details on the property saying “this contract comprises the construction of a residential, two-storey, wood framed structure on a concrete foundation. The residence will contain three bedrooms on the upper floor. The residence also contains a garage and a bedroom suite.”.Mounties in both BC and the national headquarters in Ottawa did not reply to multiple requests for data on why the 1,600-square foot home would cost up to $5 million..The RCMP “had already commissioned architectural drawings and soil samples..Records currently do not state why this new house is needed..Auditors referenced relocation costs between $85 and $100 million annually within the force, and seemed to imply these large moving costs can justify the cost of the property..Jackie Conroy is a reporter for the Western Standard.jconroy@westernstandardonline.com
It’s always nice to work near home, but at what cost?.The RCMP are coming under fire for declining to comment on a $5 million budget expenditure to build a three-bedroom house next to a detachment in rural BC, says Blacklock’s Reporter..While this price may not raise eyebrows in Vancouver or Toronto’s housing market, the cost of housing in the area the RCMP chose is three times under the lowest seven-figure budget proposed by the RCMP..In a notice to contractors, the RCMP looked for someone “to assist with insurance and bonding requirements, this project is estimated to cost between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.” The reason why this cost was needed to cover the infrastructure was never given..The intended location of the house is in New Aiyansh, BC on Nisga’a First Nation lands near the RCMP compound. New Aiyansh is 240 km northeast of Prince Rupert..Housing prices in northern BC average less than $400,000 ($382,000) according to the Canadian Real Estate Association..The house “will be a wood framed structure,” said RCMP staff..According to the initial proposal, the plans did not include anything unusually large or expensive. Ordinary roofing shingles and a driveway are set to be used..RCMP staff went on to provide more details on the property saying “this contract comprises the construction of a residential, two-storey, wood framed structure on a concrete foundation. The residence will contain three bedrooms on the upper floor. The residence also contains a garage and a bedroom suite.”.Mounties in both BC and the national headquarters in Ottawa did not reply to multiple requests for data on why the 1,600-square foot home would cost up to $5 million..The RCMP “had already commissioned architectural drawings and soil samples..Records currently do not state why this new house is needed..Auditors referenced relocation costs between $85 and $100 million annually within the force, and seemed to imply these large moving costs can justify the cost of the property..Jackie Conroy is a reporter for the Western Standard.jconroy@westernstandardonline.com
