As the Ontario Government moves forward with its planned prison in Kemptville, Mayor Nancy Peckford says her main concern is funding. Mayor Peckford wrote a letter to Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones back in November, hoping to hear how the government plans to fund infrastructure upgrades and other costs that come with building the prison.
The mayor says most of her questions were addressed, with one exception. “The topic of policing costs is still a major concern to members of our community,” Mayor Peckford says, “as it has been for Council from the start of these conversations.”
A new letter has been sent by North Grenville council to the Solicitor General, asking to meet with her to discuss policing costs further.
Mayor Peckford says she’s not eager to compromise on the issue. “As we have stated from the beginning,” she says, “it is crucial that all costs related to the correctional facility’s design, construction, and operations – including policing – are financed by the province.”