New West Division Patrol Station officially opens
Posted Mar 12, 2010 By Theresa Fritz
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EMC News - Bigger, greener and designed to meets the needs of a growing community.
The new West Division Patrol Station opened recently in Kanata. The station will serve as headquarters for the OPS west division, which includes Nepean.
That's probably the best way to describe the new Ottawa Police Service West Division Patrol Station, which was officially opened in Stittsville-Kanata West on Feb. 19. The single-storey building is 41,000 square feet in size, sits on 5.6 acres of land and has more than 200 parking spaces.
A number of dignitaries and invited guests took part in the opening, which was followed the next day by a community open house. Ottawa Police Chief Vern White, Police Services Board chair and West Carleton-March Coun. Eli El-Chantiry and Mayor Larry O'Brien addressed those in attendance, took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony and witnessed the burying of a time capsule in the front foyer of the station. It is to be opened again in 2040 and among the items including inside is a photo of the late Const. Eric Czapnik, 51, who was stabbed to death while on duty Dec. 29.
A moment of silence was observed at the start of the official opening ceremony in his memory as well as for police retiree John Hodgins who died the day before.
Coun. El-Chantiry was the first to speak, commenting on how the facility meets both the strategic and operational needs of the police service, but primarily focusing on the environmental design of the building and the police service's commitment to 'green' issues.
"This new West Division Patrol Station, as we call it, has several environmentally-friendly features including the roof, the use of a water cistern, and in the heating and lighting systems," Coun. El-Chantiry noted. "Throughout the process, we had one goal in mind the whole time - how to achieve our 'silver" LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification)."
While he noted that silver is "great", gold is better and the next patrol station set for the south end of the city will be even better.
Mr. O'Brien said the new facility would support the police service as it continues, under the leadership of Mr. White, to provide top-notch service to the residents of Ottawa.
The mayor said the new patrol station, "can anticipate the needs of a growing west end in the City of Ottawa but also providing the officers on the road and in the field with a haven to come and be trained, and to act as an operating base."
He also spoke about partnerships that will be created by the facility and noted the city has partnered with artist Erin Robertson, whose acrylic on resin panels entitled 'Night Patrol' looms large over the front foyer. It is a composite night scene of photographs Ms. Robertson took while on patrol with an Ottawa Police constable.
Mr. White spoke about the operational role of the building, which cost around $21.6 million to build.
"This is an important day for us in our efforts to continuously grow to serve and deliver to the community," he said. "We stand here this afternoon after three years of consultation, planning and construction."
The chief pointed out that even though the building is greener, the police service will never be any less blue.
"This new building...is a welcome addition to the west end of Ottawa and provides our service with the capacity and the capability to meet the needs of the residents of this end of the city," Mr. White continued. "By building this station, the Ottawa Police Services Board and the City of Ottawa have invested in a visible and accessible presence in the west end to meet community and police needs for years to come. And while the reason for being here today is the building opening, let's not forget that it is really about the people who are working here - 24 hours a day - that are the heart of what we do at the Ottawa Police Service."
The chief also took the opportunity to recognize all who were involved in the project - from the architects to members of the police service.
"It (the station) is a superb example of teamwork and reaching a goal that reflects our commitment to both our members and the community we serve."
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