Police HQ inquiry report coming next week: Kinew

Project shown to be a ‘total catastrophe’

Winnipeg overpaid by $43.3 million on the police service headquarters project.

THE final report of the public inquiry into the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters will be released next week, days before voters elect a mayor and city council, Premier Wab Kinew announced Thursday.

Kinew told CJOB the report, which he received and began reviewing Tuesday, found the city overpaid by $43.3 million on the project, with misconduct such as fabricated invoices and misappropriated funds “proven” to account for at least part of that amount.

“When you see this report, you’re definitely going to agree this was a total catastrophe,” Kinew told the radio station Thursday, noting he thinks residents deserve to read the document before the Oct. 28 election.

The report’s findings relate to activities between 2010 and 2013, he added. Kinew did not identify any person or entity named in the report.

He did not speak to reporters after question period at the legislature, despite requests from the Free Press and at least one other media outlet for him to discuss the document’s contents and release date.

Kinew’s press secretary told the Free Press late in the afternoon that a statement would not be issued on behalf of the premier. Kinew’s comments from the morning radio interview “stand,” the press secretary said.

The premier told CJOB the province will accept the report’s recommendations.

The $2.3-million public inquiry took place over 27.5 hearing dates between February and May.

Mayoral candidate Kevin Klein last week publicly called on Kinew to make the report public before the election. He also wrote to the province to request that the document be shared promptly and prior to the vote.

“My thanks go out to Premier Wab Kinew for understanding the importance of democracy and transparency,” Klein told reporters Thursday.

The city has been plagued by problems related to the WPS headquarters, a former Canada Post office building and warehouse at Smith Street and Graham Avenue, for more than a decade.