Summerland’s efforts to have a new B.C. provincial jail built here were hampered by “changing goal posts,” said Mayor Janice Perrino.
She represented Summerland Monday morning when the plans for a new Okanagan Correctional Centre were unveiled at the chosen site near Oliver.
“The very first letter that came out in December of 2010 said it needed to be close to the Vernon and Kelowna courts.”
The original understanding was that it would not be built south of Penticton, she said.
“Twice that changed,” she said.
“It was tough because the goal posts kept changing.”
The prison will be built at the new Senkulmen Enterprise Park on Osoyoos Indian Band land.
Premier Christy Clark and Public Safety Minister Shirley Bond announced the project, which has a completion date of early 2016.
Perrino said she can see why the site was chosen. “When I saw the site, it is flat, serviced and beside a highway.”
The lower cost of building on that site was likely a factor, she added.
She said Summerland can still take advantage of jobs and population growth from the project. “It’s literally 45 minutes from Summerland.”
“We’ll get lots of benefits out of this,” she said.
Penticton Indian Band and Lumby also campaigned for the jail site.
The site, located seven kilometres north of Oliver, will hold a correctional centre that will consist of 360 secure cells in 10 living units.
The $200 million project is the first partnership of its kind between B.C. Corrections and a First Nation.
Osoyoos Indian Band chief Clarence Louie said the project will bring the OIB land lease revenues, taxation revenue and the spinoff benefits of construction, which will bring hundreds of jobs that will benefit the entire South Okanagan.
The jail is being built to increase capacity in the system, said Minister of Public Safety Shirley Bond, who was also at the announcement ceremony.
“Our band owns the most businesses per capita of any First Nation in Canada, which makes us a major economic driver in our region.
“This project will only build on our history of success,” said Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie.
Clark said the provincial government will be completing a business plan with the Osoyoos band as the next step of the project.
BC Corrections staff visited the proposed sites and met with local government and First Nations staff.
The City of Penticton rescinded its two site proposals in June 2011.