Driftpile) – Lakeshore Regional Police Service broke ground to expand its headquarters at Driftpile Cree Nation.

Lakeshore Police, Lakeshore Police Commission and Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council held a sod-turning ceremony May 25 to launch the project to expand the building that was officially opened Oct. 27, 2015.

“Once complete, the building will have enough space to double our staff,” says Dean Syniak, chief of police.

“Shovels in the ground today represents growth, progress and investment in public safety.

“Today is more than a construction milestone, it’s a commitment to future of our community and the people who serve it every day.”

Established in 2008, Lakeshore currently serves Driftpile, Sucker Creek First Nation and Swan River First Nation in the High Prairie region and Sawridge First Nation in the Slave Lake area.
The expansion will add space for a canine unit, a plain-clothes officer unit, a recruiting and training officer, a training room, an office for human resources, a crime-prevention unit, in-house financing and information technology.

“Expansion of our existing police building will create more space, ensure better resources and improved services for both our officers and the communities we a proud to protect,” says Syniak, who was promoted to chief of police April 1, 2024 and serving with Lakeshore since 2010.

“A modern facility helps support the important work being done here – from responding to emergencies, to building positives connections with families, youth an Elders.”
budgeted at about $14 million, the project is being fully funded by the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada.

Provincial funding of $6.9 million was announced April 2, 2025 at a news conference at Driftpile.

About $7.1 million was committed by the federal government.

Syniak says the funding support is greatly appreciated.

“The Alberta and Canadian governments recognize the importance of First Nations policing and are committed to fund the expansion project with support from Lakeshore Regional Police Service, Lakeshore Regional Police Service Commission and the Lesser Slave Lake Indian Regional Council,” Syniak says.

Jen-Col Construction, of Acheson, was awarded the contract by the LSLIRC.

Groundwork started April 20, project manager John Richards says.

The contractor recently completed the new Driftpile health centre south of the Lakeshore office.

Planned over two phases, the work started on a two-storey addition on the west side of the building and is scheduled to be completed by May 2027, Richards says.

That will be followed by renovations to the current building and planned to be completed by late fall 2027.

Police commission chair Bradley Twin, of Swan River, says the project is important to the First Nations communities.

“It shows Lakeshore is an essential service,” Twin says.

LSLIRC Grand Chief Isaac Twinn, of Sawridge, echoes those words.

“The vision we had to create Lakeshore was to have a police service,” Twin says.

“We’re expanding this building so we can grow.”

Sucker Creek Chief Barb Okemow also values the police and the project.

“This expansion will provide much-needed administration space for growth of services for the betterment of our nations,” Okemow says.

“Lakeshore Regional Police is mandated to provide quality service while at the same time, exceed its role as a police service and this expansion will allow that.”

Richard Froese
For the Lakeside Leader