A presentation for the EOCC brought out many members of the public on Thursday looking for answers.
Members from Corrections Ontario showed the public what the project would look like, and the timeline of how it would be built. Ali Veshkini from the Solicitor’s General Office says that they want the EOCC’s impact to be minimal on taxes, safety and infrastructure. The panel said that the EOCC will house 235 medium and minimum-security inmates. They said that courthouses would be accessed virtually. In addition, Corrections Ontario said they would focus on restorative justice and rehabilitation rather than simply detainment.
The final location will be at Prescott Street and College Road, right beside the 416. When asked why they chose Kemptville, the panel said it was close to not only the highway but also that Kemptville was central to where many correctional officers already lived. When it came to the specific location of the EOCC, the panel said the land was already government-owned, and the land around it that needed to be purchased was at a price that they felt was acceptable to the taxpayer. They also said that they plan to respect the local heritage of the areas around the proposed site. Some residents asked why the location of the former Burt’s Rapids Correctional Facility was not chosen. The panel said that a third party had already claimed a part of the land.
On the construction of the EOCC, the panel said that there would be a focus on acquiring local labour and companies for construction. When the panel was asked what impact this would have on the local taxpayer, Veshkini says that they do not want any impact on North Grenville residents’ bills, and any burden they place on hydro or sewage they will pay to help improve if need be. They say once construction ends, the EOCC will rely on local businesses to supply the facility. The panel also hinted that they would assist with expanding the hospital should they need those facilities as well. On property values, the panel said that there should be no impact on those. When asked what kind of impact the prison would have on local traffic, the panel said they would do a traffic study to determine what changes should be made, and help North Grenville improve the roads where needed. They did not rule out the possibility of College Road being connected to the 416.
The public also asked questions during the meeting on things like security, proximity to schools, light pollution and noise. The panel said that crime rates are not impacted by the proximity of a correctional facility, and showed many correctional facilities only a few meters from schools and residential areas which had no problems between the schools in question and residents. Corrections Ontario also said that they would work to lessen the physical footprint of the EOCC, promising they will keep noise and light pollution during construction and operation to as little as possible. They urge residents to look into other similar correctional facilities to see how they have impacted the area around them.
The panel said the project should be completed by 2027.