Grand Lake residents celebrate Liberal decision to go ahead with jail
Premier Susan Holt says government recognizes existing facilities are overcrowded, apologizes for disruption
Residents of the Grand Lake area were celebrating Thursday after Premier Susan Holt announced that the construction of a costly and controversial new provincial jail in the community will go ahead after all.
Holt said last week her government was reviewing the $66-million project launched by the previous Progressive Conservative government.
But in a Facebook post at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, the premier said it would go ahead as planned.
"As part of our process, we reviewed all the information, background, and justification for this centre. I want to apologize to the community of Grand Lake for the fear and disruption we have caused," she said.
"We understand that correctional institutions across the province are at capacity, and overcrowding is causing safety concerns for everyone in those centres. We need to make sure people are safe."
Grand Lake residents who had planned to be at the legislature to pressure the Liberal government on the issue instead turned their visit into a victory tour.
"We needed this. This is the best Christmas present ever. And we thank the premier so much," said resident Carol Smith, who described a mood of elation in Grand Lake since word of the decision got out Wednesday.
Earlier this year, the Liberals suggested while still in opposition that the PC government should rethink the project, especially after learning the original cost estimate had more than doubled.
"I'd like to know if the minister's ready to reconsider the high cost," Liberal MLA Jacques LeBlanc said during a budget estimates committee session in April.
Public Safety Minister Robert Gauvin told reporters that the distance between courthouses in the Fredericton area and the site was still "an issue" but "social acceptance" of the project in Grand Lake played a role in the decision to go ahead.
Holt suggested last week that she wanted to make sure the Grand Lake location was the best one.
Gauvin also said there hasn't been a day since he's been minister that existing jails in the province have been below 100 per cent capacity.
Mayor Kevin Nicklin, who had called the review "the straight weaponization of politics" because Grand Lake is represented by a PC MLA, Kris Austin, said Thursday his initial comments were "a knee-jerk reaction" to learning about the review from CBC News.
"It was kind of a shock to us that it was under review, but as she explained a lot of projects are under review when you change government, to make sure," he said.
"They had to do their due diligence, and they did, and it seems to have worked out."
Austin told reporters he was confident that if the Liberals based their review on evidence, they would give the project the green light.
"For me it was really a question of whether this government was going to play politics with it, or whether they were going to follow the same evidence I had, and I'm pleased that they followed the evidence and didn't use the political card on this one."
John Eric Miscich was relieved, too.
He grew up in Grand Lake and is studying in a New Brunswick Community College satellite program in the community that is training future jail staff.
"I'm thankful that the premier was able to make the decision to keep it around. It means a lot to everybody. It means a lot to me. This is big for our community."
The jail, which was originally planned for within Fredericton's city limits until local opposition flared up, is scheduled to be finished and ready to open in 2026.
Austin, who was the public safety minister in the PC government, argued he did not steer the project to his riding and insisted the location, in the former village of Minto, scored highest in the province's site selection process.
He also cited rising crime numbers in making the case.
Some critics have suggested the jail wasn't needed and the funds should be used instead to address root causes of crime to help young people avoid ending up in court in the first place.
"We don't need another jail," Green Leader David Coon said Thursday. "What we need are real investments in programs to keep people out of jail — in mental health, in addiction, in housing."
The previous government said it would be spending $3.7 million on rehabilitative programs at the jail to help inmates avoid re-offending.
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