OLIVER — It’s been a year since the first sod turn, and since then, 100,000 hours of work have already been put into building Okanagan’s first prison.
The Okanagan Correctional Centre (O.C.C.) is located north of Oliver on 36 acres of the Osoyoos Indian Band Reserve, a landmark decision that Chief Clarence Louie believes is stimulating the local economy.
“There’s not very many $200 million projects in Oliver and Osoyoo,” says Chief Louie. “This is a a huge project, not just for the Osoyoos Indian band, but for the entire south Okanagan.”
There are about 120-150 construction workers on site throughout the week. Another 100 more tradespeople will be needed near the last phase of the construction.
Les Krusel, a construction site manager with PCL, says about 45 per cent of the workers are from the Okanagan.
“Anytime we go into a new city, or new town, it’s one of our initiatives to find out what’s available and we will hire locals as a preference,” says Krusel.
There will be 378 cells with each cell can hold up to two inmates.
The province believes this new facility is crucial in relieving some of the congestion faced by other prisons around B.C.
“This is absolutely needed and we’re looking forward to having some of the other centres not as crowded,” says Ted Howard with B.C. Corrections.
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The O.C.C. will be a high-security prison with advanced technology.
“We’re going to get a really secure facility. We’re going to make sure that the people who are housed here will remain here until the end of their sentence is done,” says MLA Laurie Throness, a Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General for Corrections.
Chief Louie says there’s still a minority of people against the O.C.C.
Those, however, who support the prison also want an opportunity to fill one of the 300 permanent positions.
The prison will require 240 correctional officers and 60 support staff. Hiring for those jobs will begin in the spring of 2016.
Construction is anticipated to wrap up in the fall of that year.
Prisoners will begin filling the cells at the start of 2017.
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