Province expanding Thunder Bay Correctional Centre, Kenora Jail

The Province of Ontario has awarded the contract to expand the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre and Kenora Jail.

In a virtual media event held Thursday, the province announced the contract has been awarded to Bird Construction.

The project will see the addition of modular structures at the two facilities and work is scheduled to begin in April.

"The construction of new structures at both facilities will allow for increased access to literacy skills, development and technology programs, as well as culturally relevant programming that supports safe community reintegration," said Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. "This investment will also help address capacity pressures in Kenora and Thunder Bay until the construction of the new Thunder Bay Correctional Complex is complete."

The expansions — which will be about 1,500 to 2,000 square metres in size — are expected to be completed in Spring 2022. The total cost was not available.

Micheal Lindsay, CEO of Infrastructure Ontario, said the projects are being fast-tracked.

"We're … promoting construction approaches on these projects that will expedite the time from the first shovel to operational facilities," he said. "We're going to be using a combination of traditional site building and modular manufacturing to expedite construction."

The expansions were first announced by the province in October.

Jones said planning remains ongoing for a new Thunder Bay correctional facility. However, she said requests for proposals for that project haven't yet been sent out.

"We are working with Infrastructure Ontario on that piece," Jones said Thursday. "And as the bids are prepared and reviewed, then we will have a much better timeline in terms of when we can expect the build, and ultimately to be able to open it."