BUFF BAY, Portland — The finishing touches are being put on the long-awaited Buff Bay Police Station, which is expected to be ready by Christmas.

“The soon-to-be-delivered police station is far advanced and is supposed to be ready to be delivered in a month or two,” Member of Parliament for Portland Western and Minister of Energy, Science and Technology Daryl Vaz told the media last Thursday. The price tag, he said, was $50 million.

“The community will get a Christmas gift, and [it’s] looking good for 2022. The next thing is that we are trying to get public WiFi. This is in the procurement stage so things are looking up for Buff Bay,” the MP added.  

He was speaking during a tour of the police station and adjoining $200-million health centre, which is also under construction.

Ground was broken for both facilities in 2018.

“The health centre is a game-changer and will provide many services to the residents of Buff Bay that they are not getting, including a pharmacy, an asthma room for children and adults, a maternity section, and over 10,000 square feet that is covered,” said Vaz.

The combined $250-million investment at a time when resources are strained because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, he said, is an indicator of the Government’s commitment to driving economic development and providing jobs.

The facilities, he said, were “legacy projects” — a term used for big-ticket items expected to make a lasting impact.

— Everard Owen