EllisDon consortium confirmed for Thunder Bay Correctional Complex project
A public-private partnership consortium led by EllisDon has been awarded the contract to design, build, finance and maintain the new Thunder Bay Correctional Complex project.
Solicitor General Sylvia Jones announced the contract as part of a series of investments in corrections infrastructure in the North. The province is also investing $96 million in expansion projects at the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre and Kenora Jail, and up to $5 million for a new Northern Attraction Incentive Program pilot to attract and retain corrections staff in the North.
“Together, our government’s landmark infrastructure investment and new hiring program will create and support hundreds of jobs in Thunder Bay, Kenora and surrounding regions,” said Jones. “We are making exciting progress on building a modern correctional system that supports public safety, meets the care and programming needs of those in custody, and ensures healthy and well-resourced work environments for our frontline corrections staff to do their jobs safely.”
The 345-bed Thunder Bay Correctional Complex facility will replace the outdated existing jail and correctional centre in Thunder Bay and provide behavioural and mental health housing options, improved programming and health care services in units, and better access to natural light and outdoor spaces.
The existing Thunder Bay Jail and Correctional Centre are among the oldest provincially run adult correctional facilities in Ontario. The Thunder Bay Jail opened in 1928. The Thunder Bay Correctional Centre opened in 1965; however, the original building structure which operated as a prison farm opened in 1911.
Frontline staff and Indigenous leaders will have input on the design of the Thunder Bay Correctional Complex.
Construction is expected to start this fall and be completed by fall 2026.
In addition, Bird Construction Inc. is scheduled to complete infrastructure expansion projects at the existing Thunder Bay Correctional Centre and Kenora Jail in late summer 2022. Built using innovative modular construction, these expansions will add beds to alleviate capacity pressures and create more space for effective programming such as literacy and skills development that support safe community reintegration. The Thunder Bay build will eventually be connected to the new Thunder Bay Correctional Complex.
“This investment will ensure staff and frontline workers have access to a more modern and safe space, while also creating hundreds of new jobs and boosting the local economy,” said Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma.
The province is also investing in the new Northern Attraction Incentive Program pilot to help recruit and retain critical frontline corrections staff. The program will provide between $4,000 and $15,000 in onboarding supports for new candidates working at select adult institutions.
The expansion projects in Thunder Bay and Kenora are being delivered using Infrastructure Ontario’s rapid delivery approach, which aims to deliver projects more efficiently using rapid procurement processes and construction methods.