Canada's premiers demand urgent RCMP negotiations as contract talks loom by 2032

Canada's provincial and territorial leaders are calling on the federal government to begin formal negotiations immediately on the future of RCMP contract policing, warning that six years until current agreements expire in 2032 is not enough time to plan such a significant transition.

According to a joint communiqué released after premiers gathered in Charlottetown last week, the provincial and territorial leaders highlighted pressing policing challenges: staffing shortages, vacancies, rising costs and governance concerns.

"The federal government must provide a clear decision on the future of RCMP contract policing and to urgently begin negotiations regarding new police service agreements for those who want them," the communiqué stated.

The push reflects years of uncertainty about whether Ottawa should keep the Mounties in front-line policing across the country or shift them exclusively to federal policing — which includes espionage, violent extremism and terrorism, money laundering, cybercrime and organized crime.

Earlier this year, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree told reporters the federal government is committed to keeping Mounties in day-to-day policing, while signalling that improving the federal crimes wing is his government's priority.

Eight provinces, the three territories and some 150 municipalities across Canada currently have contracts with Ottawa to use the RCMP as their local police. Under the existing agreements, provinces and territories pay 70 per cent of the contract cost and the federal government covers the rest.

Regional support for the RCMP has wavered. Surrey, B.C., transitioned away from the Mounties in 2024 and stood up its own police force after a heated fight. Late last year, the Alberta Next Panel, which advises the Alberta government on strengthening the province's autonomy, recommended Premier Danielle Smith's government pursue establishing an Alberta Police Service and transition community policing away from the RCMP.

In a statement this week, Alberta's Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services said the province is "continuing to explore options to strengthen public safety." British Columbia, the largest RCMP contract policing jurisdiction in Canada, similarly emphasized the need for early engagement: "Given the complexity of contract policing, all parties require the necessary time to plan, engage and fully participate in meaningful negotiations."

The contract structure and the federal government's mixed signals have created strategic planning challenges across the country. Provinces and territories say they need formal certainty well before 2032 to recruit and train officers, secure infrastructure and make governance decisions that could affect policing for decades.