P.E.I. ditches commissionaires at courthouse in Summerside, P.E.I.

Commissionaires will soon be a thing of the past at the provincial courthouse in Summerside, P.E.I.

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Two commissionaires, who shared one full-time job, will be out of work when when their contract ends March 31. The province has decided to use its own staff and electronicscreening equipmentinstead.

"It's another bit of a hit for us for sure," said Allan MacKinnon, the regional manager for the commissionaires on P.E.I.

"However as the old saying goes, when we are down one day, we stand to fight another day."

Sheriff's office staff will continue to be at the courthouse and will take over all security, said MacKinnon.

"We will look after our people for sure," said MacKinnon, adding the two commissionaires will go on the group's list for future employment opportunities. "They fully understand the circumstances."

A review of the security features in courthouses across the province by the Department of Justice and Public Safety determined that screeners at the entrances of courthouses public safety would be cheaper and more effective.

Another hit

In Summerside there were issues around the space needed for both a screener and commissionaire in thesmall entry area as well as some duplication of services with these positions, officials said.

Last fall, commissionaires also lost their contract with the province's two largest hospitals.

Commissionaires are a private, not-for-profit Canadian company that employs more than 20,000 people, mostly former military and RCMP, according to its website.