Dear Editor,
Kemptville became my home nearly forty-five years ago when its only culture was agriculture.
Clark and Ford, your ignorance and arrogance is equalled only by the audacity of this announcement without any consultation made during a pandemic that is already negatively affecting the mental and physical well being of so many. The irony is that the municipality had been trying to buy the land but had been put off by you Steve Clark. Shame on you both!
Were the improvements on Hwy 43 and the funds for affordable housing a dangling carrot? In the future, does the provincial government have the power to change these homes to half way houses for inmates?
Madam Mayor, Deputy Mayor and silent councillors, I am so disappointed in your actions. It matters not to me when you found out about this invasion, it is your response or lack thereof. I do wonder however, why the previous CAO of the Municipality of North Grenville was quickly replaced by Gary Dykes who has history in the areas of existing municipalities with correctional institutions and was very quick to point out to council that it is a done deal.
I don’t want you on the phone every day and texting every day trying to get more information from the provincial government and arranging robust consultations, I want you to say NO WAY! NOT HERE! I don’t want you negotiating a good deal with the province with water and sewers. I want you to say NO WAY! NOT HERE!
The article in the North Grenville times by Mayor Nancy Peckford on the proposed prison…………what a waste of space! And pray tell, who are the two representatives opposed to the jail who have been invited in the interest of transparency to the October 30th call?
Why are you wasting your time comparing other cities by choosing selective positive situations for example ‘house prices in Milton skyrocketed?’ Do you think that there could have been other factors?
The economic development will be very limited with most services being outsourced by the correctional institution, for example, food and laundry. New jobs will be filled with trained unionized employees already in the system. There could be some part time employment, perhaps a student on campus could get a job selling marijuana in the cafeteria.
I don’t think that council is representing me or standing up for North Grenville and are just white washing this whole fiasco in order to further their careers. You are willing to jeopardise our history, safety, identity, and endanger our children.
There are so many other uses for this land to enhance the RTO, provide a place for more physical and mental health, and recreational activities. With everything that North Grenville has become, stand our ground, form committees, and fight this. Put your efforts into stopping this horrible injustice and save us from becoming THE JAIL NEAR THE RIDEAU. Together we need to fight this, NO WAY! NOT HERE!
Rosalind Brooks
Kemptville
