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Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
N.L. breaks ground on long-awaited prison, but opposition says it's simply election fodder
Ground has broken on the site of the new prison for the St. John's area, set to replace the Victorian-era correctional facility that has been in decay for years. The provincial government announced Monday an early works agreement has been signed with New Avalon Corrections Partners to begin preparation work at the site on East White Hills Road. Preparation work includes things like cleaning the area, installing fencing around the installation area, erosion and sediment control and more. "After decades of contemplating a new facility to replace Her Majesty's Penitentiary, this is a very important day to many as we officially begin the construction project," said Infrastructure Minister Elvis Loveless. "The bottom line is that we need a new correctional facility. Today, we are delivering on that commitment." Justice Minister John Haggie told reporters the 20,000 square-metres facility will house 300 beds and have a focus on treatment and rehabilitation. He added it will be designed to encourage staff and inmate interaction in a safe, secure and humane manner. The facility will also include services for female inmates and a wellness space for staff members. First announced in the spring of 2019, a replacement for Her Majesty's Penitentiary has long been on the provincial government's radar. The crumbling facility, which has sections dating back to the mid-1800s, has been plagued by a litany of issues in recent years, like rat infestations, extreme heat and staffing shortages. The province had initially set aside $200 million for the new prisons construction. At the time, the maximum ceiling the province could afford was $325 million — but rising inflation changed plans. The Government re-issued a request for qualifications in January 2024, writing in a news release Monday that the parameters of the project were reevaluated with the aim of "procuring a new facility that is fiscally responsible." On Monday, Loveless said new estimates put the cost of construction at $697 million — including $150 million from the federal government. Construction is estimated to take around 50 months once the final agreement is expected to be completed in July, meaning the prison could be operational in 2029. Haggie said a new prison has been a long time coming, in part because of the cost challenges. "This process has been slower than we would have liked," Haggie told reporters. "It has always been a difficult priority politically. It is a hard sell for a lot of people. And quite frankly, that doesn't make it any the less important." Speaking with reporters about an hour after the announcement, PC justice critic Helen Conway Ottenheimer was incredulous. "We are very sceptical and doubtful about what's going to come out of this," she said. "It's laughable. It really is laughable. How can we take this seriously?" Conway Ottenheimer said her scepticism comes from the prison first being promised in 2019 and slated for completion in 2024 or 2025. She believes government not sticking to its word has hurt the province — while questioning the timing of the announcement. "Here we are today, another photo-op. And, you know, one has only to ask the question and wonder if this is just about the fact that we are on the brink of a provincial election, and it is election bait. It's election fodder." Download our to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our . Click .
CTV News
11 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
One of Canada's oldest, most notorious prisons to be replaced
After decades of debate, there are finally signs of a replacement to the notorious Her Majesty's Penitentiary in St. John's, N.L., one of Canada's oldest operating prisons. Correctional officers have complained about heat, mold, strong toxic smells and 'serious rodent issues' at the prison, according to documents revealed under Access to Information legislation. Conditions have become so bad that multiple inmates have received extra credit towards their sentences — known as 'Duncan' credit — in recognition of the particularly harsh circumstances inside the prison. Newfoundland and Labrador's Provincial Government announced Monday that an 'early works agreement' has been signed with a contractor that will allow some preliminary site work to begin. The provincial government and contractor New Avalon Corrections Partners is also working towards concluding an agreement to build a new prison, which is estimated to cost almost $700 million. 'Despite the inflated price tag and challenge, as I call it, we remain steadfast in our commitment to getting the project done,' said Transportation and Works Minister Elvis Loveless. Her Majesty's Penitentiary Newfoundland and Labrador officials say the new prison will cost almost $700 million. Price estimates for the project have soared, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Loveless and other provincial government officials have blamed inflation for the change in budget, which was once about $400 million. The ceremonial groundbreaking on Monday is the closest the provincial government has stepped in years to replacing the decrepit, 166-year-old penitentiary. The notorious prison is often excruciatingly hot and odorous and tensions among prisoners are at an almost permanent boil, according to St. John's defence lawyer Erin Breen. 'When you walk in, in the summertime in particular, it's a wall of heat and stench that hits you,' she said. Staffing issues, according to Breen, have frequently led to lockdowns inside the prison where inmates must be kept inside their cells in order to maintain safety. 'They're not getting access at all to fresh air or outdoor air. Very rarely do they get recreation at all,' she said. 'You're subjecting people to things that you would think that in 2025, in Canada, just could not happen.' Her Majesty's Penitentiary replacement St. John's defence lawyer Erin Breen appears for an interview on the replacement for Her Majesty's Penitentiary in St. John's, N.L. Previous replacement attempts This week's groundbreaking ceremony marks the latest — but not the only — attempt to replace the ailing prison in recent years. An attempt in 2019 stalled over concerns with rising costs. 'It has always been a difficult priority politically,' John Haggie, Newfoundland and Labrador's Minister of Justice, said Monday. 'It is a hard sell for a lot of people. And quite frankly, that doesn't make it any the less important.' Haggie deflected some responsibility from his own provincial Liberal party for the decades of delay by alleging the provincial government was in such bad shape when they were first elected that officials were more concerned about making payroll than replacing infrastructure. Monday's announcement still came without definitive timelines on when the new facility will be built, or when prisoners could be moved over. The early work agreement allows for the installation of site fencing and some soil and groundwork. Breen says she's still skeptical that a new prison will be built. 'I'm sure everyone has the best of intentions, but, you know, will things change? Will suddenly costs skyrocket and the thing gets called off again?' she asked. 'It's difficult after so many years to trust…particularly in light of the fiscal situation that we're in.'
