Dear Editor,
Our MPP seemed to have omitted his response to the question about his role in selecting the site for this prison. Notwithstanding that point, I truly hope the ‘robust consultations’ will showcase the solidarity in our community and the collective opinion that this is not something we want in our neighbourhood. Kemptville is growing for all the right reasons currently, this prison facility will change that progress and forever change the face of our town.
Let’s come together, united in voice, to reject this prison’s location and stand up to preserve the growth, prosperity and sanctity of our town that I personally have called home for 30+ years. There are a number of strong points to be made to justify an alternative location, all of which I will bring to the consultations when they occur. Citing positive economic impact, creating good-paying, stable jobs, attracting new families and providing economic spin-offs to local businesses is standard messaging for any large infrastructure placing its enormous footprint in your community. The fact remains, that messaging can be short-sighted and the positive aspects quickly lose their lustre. Don’t take it from me, take it from the citizens of Joyceville, Millhaven and countless other towns, known, not for their beauty, but rather for their institutional facility. I’m not normally one to rock the boat when it comes to political decisions, yet I find myself angered and a bit possessive of wanting to preserve what we have and what we will have in the future, a future that doesn’t need bricks, mortar fencing, barbed wire, security cameras etc. etc. in our landscape. Seize the moment and tell your MPP, thanks, but no thanks, to the maximum security provincial penitentiary.
Kirk Albert
