Four and a half years after the previous Cambridge Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachment went up in flames, the police service has moved into its new home.
The new detachment is located at 1360 Hespeler Road, about three kilometres from Highway 401.
It includes a collision reporting centre where crashes that take place on highways or other OPP controlled roads can be dealt with.
Officers patrolling between Oxford County and Milton will also work out of the Cambridge detachment.
The building is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday for walk-in reports, though officers will work out of the building 24/7.
Background checks will not be done at the new detachment, they will be handled by Waterloo regional police or Wellington County OPP.
FIRE DESTROYS PREVIOUS DETACHMENT
In the afternoon on Sept. 4, 2018, the former detachment on Beaverdale Road went up in flames.
A total of 20 firefighters from three stations fought the fire, including two aerial trucks.
There were no injuries reported, but nearby residents were asked to stay inside due to smoke.
Photos shares by OPP on social media showed extensive damage to the building, with large sections of the roof destroyed by the fire.
Construction on this new detachment began in the fall of 2021, with OPP temporarily working out of a building on Franklin Boulevard while the new facility was being built. That location is now closed.
