(Renfrew and Area Connection Centre photo)
Operations at the Renfrew and Area Connection Centre will pause indefinitely at the end of the day this Friday and the facility’s future is in jeopardy.
Ontario Provincial Police Inspector Marc Hemmerick, interim Renfrew Detachment Commander, says that as of this Friday, the local detachment will be pausing its participation at the centre, which is funded through the Community Safety and Policing grant 2022-2023 to 2024-2025. The current grant expires in March 2025.
In an email statement, Hemmerick explained that changes in legislation from the Police Services Act to the Community Safety Policing Act have caused the overall oversight and administration of the grant to unintentionally default to the OPP.
“Although the Renfrew Detachment of the OPP is an active partner in the grant we should not and cannot be the lead agency to oversee and administer the grant,” he wrote.
“As of Friday the 1 of November 2024, at 4 p.m., the Renfrew Detachment of the OPP will be pausing our participation at the Renfrew and Area Connections Center while the Detachment, OPP’s Grant Support Team and the Town of Renfrew determine what are the next best steps forward for the grant and the community activities it supports,” reads the statement.
Const. Tina Hunt, who runs the centre, is an employee of the OPP and will be returning to her home position at the Renfrew Detachment, said Hemmerick.
The building itself where the Connections Centre is housed is owned by the Renfrew Public Library.
Town of Renfrew spokesperson Hannah MacMillan said that due to the restructuring of the OPP Detachment Board in Ontario municipalities, the town does hold the funding/grant for the Connection Centre now.
“It is my understanding that this will be coming to council to make a final decision on in the coming weeks and months,” said MacMillan.
(Written by Sherry Haaima)
