Vernon council okays initial plan for RCMP detachment expansion

Jun 23, 2026 | 6:17 AM

VERNON, B.C. — Mounties in Vernon could be getting new headquarters in the next few decades.

At the regular meeting Monday (June 22), Vernon City Council was presented with plans on expanding the local detachment for the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP, which serves communities like Westwold and Falkland.

A study of the local facility was undertaken and found that, with population growth and an expected short-term increase in police demands, the facility should expand from the existing 2,655 square metres to 3,812 square metres by 2045.

The expansion would be prioritized with a new front lobby to address security zone concerns; exhibit storage space to increase allocation on site and reduce reliance on off-site locations; new change rooms for women; and more office space to allow for future growth in positions and opportunities to be contained within the main detachment. The site would also see a multi-level parkade established for the RCMP and staff vehicles to use.

Vernon City Council was presented with three options to expand the detachment: building an additional floor to meet a 10 year demand, expanding and renovating the existing building to meet a 20 year demand, and building a whole new detachment.

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It was noted the 10 year plan was not a viable option as it would require extensive structural and seismic upgrades, would be very disruptive to existing operations, and would be cost prohibitive as it would cost an estimated $32-million.

The third option, building a new detachment, was also not recommended as it would cost an estimated $103-million, and that would not include the cost of purchasing land for the facility.

The second option was considered the most viable, as it would increase the existing facility space to 4,085 square metres in size, which would be above the recommended necessary expansion; an addition to the public lobby; an addition to the adjacent garages; and a cold storage space on site.

This expansion was estimated to cost roughly $50-million over 20 years, and that included construction costs, soft costs, and contingencies.

Vernon City Council gave preliminary approval to explore the option of expanding the detachment and directed staff to report back to council with proposed next steps, funding strategies, and possible timelines. Staff was also asked to begin preliminary discussions with potential funding partners for the detachment expansion.

It is expected staff will be reporting back to council with these details in the late-fall or winter.

by Liam Verster/Vernon Matters

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Vernon council okays initial plan for RCMP detachment expansion

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