THUNDER BAY -- The nearly century-old Thunder Bay District Jail could be replaced with a facility that would be regional in scope.
The province has notified the local corrections officers' union that Thunder Bay is shortlisted with Ottawa, Sudbury and North Bay as cities under consideration for new institutions to be funded in the 2017 budget.
"All the tools we've been asking for for years, they're talking about investing if we become the successful candidate in Thunder Bay," said OPSEU 727 president Shawn Bradshaw.
"We've been buried under this old, decrepit jail for a long time and staffing models are antiquated. It's a step in the right direction but we're still not even the successful city."
A preliminary proposal envisages a facility of 450 beds that would replace the Thunder Bay District Jail, as well as both male and female dorms at the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre.
Bradshaw said such an institution could serve as a regional hub, relieving pressure on the Fort Frances and Kenora jails, the latter of which can run up to 80 per cent over capacity at times.
He pointed out Thunder Bay's remoteness by Ontario standards, advocating a new jail would service a clientele that would be best served close to home. Such a project would centralize resources, he argued, which would give inmates access to better programming and create better opportunities for rehabilitation.
"If successful, it would give us the tools to provide the programs offenders need, which in turn, makes it safer in the jails, makes it safer on the streets and really contributes to the justice system overall."
City council has formally endorsed the construction of a new jail, as have both of the city's members of provincial parliament.
Thunder Bay Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle would not commit to a timeline for a new jail's construction but he said events of the past year have made it as much of a priority for the province as it is for him.
"This is a huge priority for us, it's a major priority for me as an MPP and I'm going to continue to put the pressure on my colleagues to see that it happens as soon as possible," Gravelle said.
Twelve new, local corrections officer recruits graduated on Friday but Bradshaw suggested it would only be a "drop in the bucket" compared to the minimum 20 to 30 more officers that will be necessary over the next few years "to keep our heads above water."
