Two Kemptville, Ont. residents file judicial review of proposed jail
A proposed correctional facility in Kemptville, Ont. has some residents concerned about how it might change the look of their small town and they are taking steps to prevent it from happening.
Two residents of the small town just south of Ottawa, Kirk Albert of the Jail Opposition Group and Victor Lachance of the Coalition Against the Proposed Prison, have filed a judicial review to stop the jail from being built.
“All we’ve asked for right from the start is, ‘What is the process, and did you follow it?’” says Albert. “Public safety has not been one of the primary drivers in this. It really has been mostly about the inconsistencies, the lack of consultation, the lack of information, for fundamentally basic things.”
They say many residents, community organisations and agri-food groups have been frustrated, saying there has been no meaningful consultation about the prison plan.
The Office of the Solicitor General says in a statement, “The proposed correctional complex will be the most modern and efficient facility in the province, and will have a special focus on rehabilitation.”
Residents were told that this jail could bring roughly 500 jobs to the area. Albert disagrees.
“Most correctional staff that are already working at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre would simply be transferred to the Kemptville site,” says Albert. “Therefore, very few net new job opportunities.”
Lachance says the area doesn’t meet criteria for a new jail, but the mayor says it does.
“I can confirm that, from a zoning perspective, the proposed use of the site for a correctional facility is permitted, which is ‘institutional’. We are taking every opportunity to ensure an open dialogue with the community with respect to information sharing and public engagement,” says North Grenville mayor Nancy Peckford.
“They did not even follow their own policy statements, which is why we have brought this application for judicial review,” says Lachance. “So the tribunal can agree with us and issue a prohibition order.”
The groups against the prison say they just want to make sure the land is used as it was initially intended.
“We save the farmland and we go back to using it the way the municipality envisioned using it as part its tourism strategy, an equine centre, community gardens, possibly a research centre,” says Lachance, “which was in the works.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.