Nearly $78M spent on speed camera processing centre for soon-to-be-scrapped program in Brampton

Brampton shelled out nearly $78 million to buy a new building for its automated speed enforcement camera processing program, which could be shut down by Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s upcoming ban.

In December 2023, the City of Brampton announced the purchase of a massive 15.74-acre property at 175 Sandalwood Pkwy. W., with plans to turn a more than 100,00 square-foot building once owned by Alectra Utilities into the city’s new automated speed enforcement (ASE) camera ticketing centre.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said the new facility would “move the city’s ticket processing from Toronto to Brampton,” create local jobs and help keep streets safe from speeders.

The ASE facility opened nearly a year later, and now could be shuttered if Ford’s planned legislation banning automated speed traps passes.

Approval to buy the building and the surrounding lands happened on Sept. 29, 2023, when Brampton City Council unanimously passed a motion after a closed-door session.

The motion by Brown and seconded by Coun. Rowena Santos greenlit the purchase from a numbered company for $77.9 million, and another $1.3 million was spent in 2024 on “interior alterations,” according to a city report.

Brampton City Council minutes show $38.95 million of the $77.9 million price tag for the Sandalwood property came from “Reserve Fund #2 – Cash-In-Lieu of Parkland,” while another $38.95 million came from the city’s Legacy Fund – originally established in 2002 with a $100 million balance.

Brampton bought the property at 175 Sandalwood Pkwy. W. in 2023 for $77.9 million.

The motion also said the building is to be used for “future park, sport field, and Processing Centre for Automated Speed Enforcement use.”

Other expenses for the ASE expansion included, but are not limited to, $91,000 for technology for new hires, and $300,000 for a truck dedicated to installing, relocating and removing ASE signage.

The Brampton 2025 budget included “a proposed” contribution of $7.8 million to the Legacy Fund “for the repayment of the Automated Speed Enforcement loan issued in 2024.”

Brown has called on the province to reimburse municipalities for their expenses if the ban goes through.

The city said moving ASE processing from Toronto to Brampton would generate approximately $30 million in revenue per year with annual projected expenses of $13 million.

Requests for comment on the city’s evaluations and purchase of the Sandalwood facility, how much the city has spent in total on the ASE program, and how many staffers from any city departments are currently working in the building were not returned.

Reports from the city have shown the ASE program has led to an average reduction of 9.33 km/h at locations where the cameras are placed in Brampton. Five zones have seen reductions of 20 km/h or more, with the biggest average drop of 25.39 km/h at North Park Drive west of Massy Street.