Province Expanding Basic Constable Training Program to Protect Ontario

As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government is expanding the Basic Constable Training (BCT) program to help police services recruit, train and deploy more officers. For the first time, training will be held simultaneously at two locations – the Ontario Police College in Aylmer and a temporary site in Cornwall, which will allow for an additional 121 recruits to be trained for a combined intake of up to 641 recruits.

“Ontario’s Basic Constable Training program is the critical first step to becoming a police officer in this province,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “When Ontarians are in need, it is our police officers who answer the call to protect us and keep our communities safe. By expanding training this fall in Cornwall, our government is supporting police services and their recruitment efforts, ensuring they have the additional constables needed to protect our communities.”

Training in Cornwall will be delivered at the DEV Hotel and Conference Centre. The program begins on October 6 and will conclude with the March Past and Review Ceremony on December 17.

“The safety and well-being of Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry relies on a strong police force to protect our community,” said Nolan Quinn, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. “By expanding basic constable training, our government is adding more officers to police forces across the province to help keep our streets and loved ones safe today, and into the future.”

In 2023, the Ontario government eliminated the tuition fee for the BCT program, which includes courses in federal law, provincial law, traffic law, human rights, diversity and professional practice, leadership, ethics, mental health for first responders and for people in crisis, de-escalation tactics, firearms, officer safety and fitness for duty.