B.C.’S top Mountie is defending the need for a mess hall at the RCMP’s new provincial headquarters in Surrey.
“Police officers generally, perhaps given the nature of their work, deserve a place where they can socialize with their comrades and their colleagues without worrying about who’s sitting at the table beside them.”
Speaking with CKNW’s Bill Good, Asst. Commissioner Craig Callens says he still hasn’t determined the hours of operation for the internal bar.
“I have said to my staff that perhaps we need to reconsider the nature of the application and the hours of opening to demonstrate that it’s not a saloon.”
Earlier this week, Surrey city councillors voted to let the liquor distribution branch determine whether the licence should be approved.
Meanwhile, Callens is dismissing claims the new headquarters has a billion-dollar price tag.
He says the complex housing 2,700 employees actually costs little more than a quarter of a billion.
“The actual construction cost is $ 263 million full-stop. Other costs are associated to financing over the life of the building or over the next 25 years, the maintenance over the life of the building, insurance and utilities.”
Callens says the billion-dollar figure is similar to proclaiming a house purchased for half a million dollars will end up costing the buyer $ 1.5 million over 25 years.
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