In so far as the Ministry of the Solicitor General of Canada is concerned, the answer is as follows.
(a) The Royal Canadian Mounted Police began planning to build a detachment in Rouyn-Noranda in 1988-1989. Steps to purchase land were initiated after the funds required to purchase land had been approved, i.e. June, 1997.
(b) The RCMP dealt with Public works an Government Services, PWGSC. PWGSC dealt with the owner of the land, which in this case was the Rouyn-Noranda school board.
(c) The RCMP's initial requirements to PWGSC were for a lot between 21,000 to 45,000 square feet. The surface area of the land eventually purchased was 56,822 square feet (294ft x 174ft).
(d) The land was purchased for a sum of $179,557. If we take the fee paid to PWGSC into account, the total cost of the land to the RCMP was $205,000.
(e) No; a competitive process was held and a follow-up was put in place by PWGSC who issued a request for public bids in June 1997. In July 1997, 6 bids had been selected and following a comparative analysis, a final site was selected in July 1997.
(f) Building a new detachment in Rouyn-Noranda had been discussed since 1988 and the purchase cost of the land was reflected in the “C” Division budget in the 1997/98 RCMP capital construction program. It was not reflected in the main estimates because the project was being advanced.