Nanton, Alberta RCMP partnering on new detachment on Highway 2

Rob Vogt

After more than a year of exploratory discussions, The Town of Nanton and Alberta RCMP are excited to announce an initiative that will re-locate the present detachment from 2501 – 21st to 1907 – 21st Avenue, the present location of the town office on Highway 2 south.
Council and the RCMP agree that a strong, visible and accessible police presence in the community will be best achieved at 1907 – 21st Avenue.
“The Alberta RCMP has a proud and historic presence in Nanton and area,” said Sergeant David Davis, detachment commander. “Our moving to this new building reflects our ongoing commitment to serving the community with the same dedication and integrity that have defined our role here for generations. I appreciate the opportunity to work closely with town council and administration on ensuring that the building will meet our needs for years to come.”
“Over the past eight years, the Town of Nanton council and administration have worked closely with the Alberta RCMP and our local detachment to strengthen our relationship and ensure the delivery of policing services that meet the needs of Nanton and the surrounding area,” said Jennifer Handley, mayor of Nanton. “We’re pleased to see them now in a more visible location on Highway 2 and look forward to continuing our collaboration in this new chapter.”
The town will lease the space currently occupied by town administration to the RCMP for a 20-year period. It was noted this will not have an impact on the Nanton library.
The town will green light its planned phases of civic renovations on the west side of the Tom Hornecker Recreation Centre, utilizing unused space that has languished for many years to re-locate the town’s administrative functions.
The multi-use meeting room/council chambers was the first civic renovation phase in 2021. The next phase will be renovating an accessible “Town of Nanton” administration area that will not conflict with the sports and recreational uses of the facility. This will include an accessibility elevator to both the Warm Room and the municipal levels.
Expectations and responsibilities of both parties will shortly be written into a memorandum of understanding – both parties are agreed that avoiding new builds or property acquisition are key to making this process affordable and fast.
The town is already developing design-build specifications for the Tom Hornecker Recreation Centre, and RCMP specifications for their new location should be ready in the coming months. Conceptual architect’s drawings will shortly be available on the town website.
It is hoped there will be some opportunities for local trades as the work progresses.