Ontario opening temporary police college in Cornwall, Ont. this fall

The Ontario government is opening a temporary police college in Cornwall, Ont. To help deploy more officers. CTV’s Josh Marano reports.

New police officers will be trained in Cornwall, Ont. this fall, as the Ontario government opens a temporary police college to help services train and deploy more officers.

Solicitor General Michael Kerzner visited Cornwall Friday morning to announce the DEV Hotel and Conference Centre will be home to a temporary Basic Constable Training program for new recruits, with the session running from Oct. 6 to Dec. 17.

“By expanding training this fall in Cornwall, our government is supporting police services and their recruitment efforts, ensuring they have the additional constables needed to protect our communities,” Kerzner said in a media release.

The government says the temporary site in Cornwall and the training at the Ontario Police College in Aylmer, Ont. will allow for an additional 121 recruits to be trained for a combined intake of up to 641 recruits.

“We are very pleased that the Ontario Police College has chosen our city to host an additional Basic Constable Training class for the fall intake. Expanding BCT capacity is a clear benefit for police services across the province,” Cornwall Police Chief Shawna Spowart said in a statement.

“This initiative directly supports Cornwall Police Service’s vision of “a safe Cornwall where everyone can thrive and belong. We extend a warm welcome to the college and the incoming recruits to our city and are confident they will find both our community and our facilities supportive and inspiring.”

Ottawa police will train more officers in 2025

The Ottawa Police Service says it will be able to hire and train more officers this fall with the opening of the Basic Constable Training program in Cornwall.

A report for the Ottawa Police Services Board meeting on Monday says the service has recently been sending approximately 30 recruits for each class at the Ontario Police College in Aylmer.

“This number is estimated to be 48 for the third class in 2025 due to the expanded capacity introduced by the province through an Eastern Ontario training location,” the report says.

The Ontario Police College typically holds three training sessions per year for new recruits, but there are plans for four classes this year. Each police service receives a set number of spots at the college.