Alberta Still in Bed with the RCMP

The province will pay $4 billion to keep the Mounties until 2032.

It might be a good time to invest in flashy red jackets. Alberta signed a new $4 billion contract on Friday to keep the RCMP policing the province for 20 years. After four years of negotiations, Alberta and the RCMP came to an agreement that allows the province to take ownership of some RCMP infrastructure and use the force for public services when needed. The Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security insisted that using the RCMP is far more economical and efficient than using a provincial force like Ontario and Quebec (despite costing $200 million in its first year alone), given that crimes occur across jurisdictions. He also lauded the international credentials of the RCMP, who have achieved worldwide acclaim for singing the chorus in The Lumberjack Song.

Image courtesy of Reuters.