Mr. Speaker, following the release of the Mass Casualty Commission report, which examined the tragic events that occurred in Nova Scotia in 2020, the hon. member opposite has asked whether the government would commit to keeping open the RCMP training facility in Regina, also known as Depot.

The hon. member for Regina—Wascana has asked the question based on recommendation 56 of the report, which called for changes to the RCMP training standards, including reimagining the RCMP’s Depot training model. This would include the creation of a new training regime centred around a three-year degree-based model of police education that is more responsive to the needs of under-represented groups, research-based and accessible in different regions of Canada.

Any new training approaches or initiatives could take months or years to implement and would require multi-level government involvement agreements, consultation and direction prior to implementation. A collaborative approach between the federal, provincial, territorial partners and indigenous stakeholders will be vital to complete this work.

With these points in mind, please allow me to speak further about the recent and ongoing advances in the Depot's training approaches.

It is important to acknowledge that the RCMP training academy has been on Treaty 4 land since 1885. The training academy is funded to train 40 troops per year and graduates approximately 1,000 police officers per year in preparation for servicing communities from coast to coast to coast.

Many of the recommendations from the Mass Casualty Commission report that the specific training is consistent with the work that is already under way to modernize and enhance RCMP professionalization to meet expectations for accountability, transparency and excellence in policing.

Over the past three years, ongoing reviews have resulted in improvements to the Depot training curriculum in areas linked to anti-racism, intercultural competence, unconscious bias awareness, leadership conflict management and de-escalation skills.

In 2019, the RCMP management advisory board was engaged to provide advice and guidance on a variety of matters related to the RCMP. This was a critical step in continuing to support its modernization efforts. In 2020, the RCMP welcomed the management advisory board's recommendations related to cadet training at the Depot. As a result, steps are currently being taken to diversify Depot's instructor cadre and to modernize the content of the training program to ensure it is relevant and effective.

The Depot training program is also informed by long-standing partnerships with several prominent learning and research institutions across Canada and abroad. It leverages these relationships in an ongoing search for the best modern police training approaches, with a view to improving police responses to people in mental health crises, adding new reconciliation-based training and enhancing cultural competencies for police officers. The government is seriously and carefully reviewing the final report of the Mass Casualty Commission and its wide-ranging recommendations, including recommendation 56 to modernize the RCMP training and research.

The government is committed to improving the safety and well-being of Canadians by working with all partners to make necessary changes to the RCMP training approaches and standards. As we do this, the RCMP will continue its work to keep Canadians and communities safe.

Mark Gerretsen

$508,543.00