Lack of open Q&A at Minto jail meeting leaves sour taste for some at packed public meeting
Controversial jail is set to start construction this fall
Nearly 150 people crowded a hall in Minto anxious to ask questions and learn more about the controversial New Brunswick jail that will soon occupy close to 22 acres in their community, but some residents were disappointed by the format of the meeting.
The information session consisted of speeches from the minister and deputy minister of public safety.
But afterwards — while attendees were invited to speak one-on-one with the ministers, the mayor, correctional officers and others — there was no public question and answer period about the $42-million proposed jail. The Progressive Conservative government first pitched the jail for the nearby capital Fredericton, but dropped it after residents complained.
The lack of public questions left a bad taste in the mouth of some, including Minto resident Wayne Fenwick.
"My expectation [was] that we'd have a mic … But no, they had their say, and they restricted it from us being able to communicate with the rest of the people."
Fenwick thought the information session would give him the opportunity to publicly voice his concerns. Instead, he feels he was dismissed during the one-on-one conversations he had with officials.
Mayor wanted 'positive spin' on proposal
Grand Lake Mayor Kevin Nicklin said when deciding how to format the meeting, he consulted with Public Safety Minister Kris Austin and there was a concern that an open question and answer session would be "overwhelmed with the naysayers so much or the, you know, not in my backyard type of a speech … rather than the positive spin on what we're trying to do."
When asked about this, Austin said it wasn't about being overwhelmed with naysayers and that it is an "open forum," but he thought the format was fine and accomplished the task it needed to.
"We felt it important to make sure that information is getting out there that is factual, accurate," said Austin. "We certainly didn't hide from any questions. I had people come up to me that had concerns. I tried to address those concerns, as best as I could."
The location originally chosen for the jail was near Fredericton's Vanier Industrial Park on the south side of the city. Although city council approved rezoning to make way for the jail, the province changed its mind about the site, citing pushback from some community members.
Resident concerned about impact on medical services
When previously asked if Austin was concerned about possible pushback from Minto residents, he said he wasn't because he believed the Minto location to be better suited for the jail than the Fredericton one.
Fenwick had multiple concerns about the new jail that he hoped to bring up — one being potential light pollution, which he says would disturb people and animals at night.
Austin said that as the location is an industrial property, there are lights already in place. He said the tree buffer between the jail and residents makes it not a big concern.
Fenwick also expressed concerns about the impact on the community's medical services.
Austin has previously said one of the factors that made Minto a good location for the jail is that there is a health clinic near the site and other nearby services for people who work there and for visitors.
But Fenwick said the wait times are already long for the clinic and increased traffic for it will make things worse.
Austin said each correctional facility has its own medical team and staff, but the clinic is across the road if need be, or in an emergency situation, inmates could be transported to Fredericton.
The meeting drew those for and against the jail.
Jeremy Thompson is one of those who was happy to see Minto picked as the new location.
He showed up at the session in hopes of learning more about the job opportunities. He is hoping to secure a decent-paying job where he can contribute to a pension.
Jail security
He thinks the jail is a fantastic thing for the area.
"[The] last few years … our area's been hit hard with declining jobs, industry closing. So it's an excellent opportunity," said Thompson.
He said he used to work in the industrial park and recognizes it as a secure area, so he has no concerns about the security of the jail.
During the speeches, Public Safety Deputy Minister Mike Comeau emphasized the low risk of escapees from correctional facilities, citing a statistic that over the last 10 years, of the 20,000 inmates in New Brunswick jails, only five have escaped. He also explained how a jail operates in terms of security measures.
But Fenwick said the speeches seemed like an attempt to "sell" the idea of the jail.
"It was not what I expected. And I think this is a sad day for Minto."
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