Winnipeg Police HQ Inquiry: More Funds, More Waiting, and Mounting Taxpayer Costs

Well, here we are again, talking about the Winnipeg Police Headquarters. It's a project that just seems to keep giving – or rather, taking – from the public purse. The latest news? That lengthy, complex public inquiry into the building's eye-watering cost overruns has just received another significant cash injection from the province. We're talking an extra $1.3 million, folks, bringing the total bill for this investigation to a staggering $3.6 million.

It really makes you wonder, doesn't it? This whole saga began way back in 2017, when Justice Marc Monnin was tasked with unraveling the tangled mess surrounding the police HQ. You'll recall, perhaps with a sigh, that the building, initially projected to cost a tidy $135 million, somehow ballooned to over $214 million. That's a nearly $80 million jump, for goodness sake! And it's that massive discrepancy, those allegations of questionable dealings, that the inquiry has been trying to get to the bottom of.

So, why the extra funding now? It boils down to delays. Significant ones. This inquiry has been a bit like a ship navigating treacherous waters, constantly having to slow down or change course due to other legal proceedings. Specifically, there was a related criminal case involving key figures – former city CAO Phil Sheegl and Caspian Construction founder Armik Nazarian. While Nazarian eventually pleaded guilty to fraud, and Sheegl was acquitted, those court processes meant the inquiry had to, understandably, hit the brakes. It couldn't really push forward too aggressively while a criminal investigation was underway, you see.

Now, with some of those criminal hurdles cleared, Justice Monnin and his team can finally pick up the pace. But all those stops and starts, all that waiting around, costs money. Think legal fees, administrative support, staffing – it all adds up over an extended period. The provincial government, recognizing the need to see this inquiry through to its conclusion and deliver the accountability the public deserves, decided to approve the additional funds. It's a tough pill for taxpayers to swallow, certainly, but frankly, abandoning the inquiry now, after all this time and investment, would be even worse.

The core mission remains unchanged: to thoroughly examine the procurement process, the management decisions, and frankly, the very oversight that allowed this project to go so spectacularly off the rails. It's about ensuring transparency and, hopefully, preventing anything like this from happening again. Citizens have a right to know how their money is being spent, especially on projects of this scale and importance. While the mounting cost of the inquiry itself is a concern, the ultimate goal is to uncover the truth and restore a measure of trust. And let's be honest, that's something we could all use a little more of when it comes to major public works.