Big Crowd For Prison Q & A

Written by Peter McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM Wednesday, 23 March 2011 23:22

Both sides in the Lumby prison debate were represented at a well attended question and answer session Wednesday night.
About 500 people packed the Charles Bloom School gym and several dozen people asked questions to  BC Corrections and Public Safety officials over the three hour session.  Don Elzer-- who is against a prison-- says there's still a lot of unknowns. "There's certtain environmental questions, social questions, economic questions, so many, and it's why we go through official community plan processes, to understand these sorts of processes."  Elzer says the session was worthwhile but should have happened earlier.  "The Lumby village council has not managed this well at all, and it would have been to the community's benefit to have these people here a lot earlier."  Mayor Kevin Acton says there's a number of potential sites in the village.  "We went out and identified 11 sites that are 20 acres in size or better, and are not in the ALR." However, Acton says only 3 or 4 of those would be acceptable to the province.  The minimum security facility could house up to 720 inmates which would make it BC's largest prison. Brent Merchant from the Public Safety Ministry doesn't think it's an issue that a large prison would be located in the smallest community to house a jail.  "Just the way jails operate, for me the size of the community is not important. It's the location, where they are in relation to the courts. There's technology that can be used that enhances security."

MLA and Lumby resident Eric Foster, took in the session, but is not taking sides on the issue which he admits has created hard feelings in the village.  "I'm trying to stay as neutral in this as I can, and both Lumby and Area D are going to do a referendum, and the results of that will dictate the way I want this to go."  Accountant Doug Brown spoke in favour of the  facility.  "I think most of the people who are in favour of it, it's purely economical. We need the economic stimulus and the whole region needs it." Mayor Acton says several questions were directed at council.  "I guess from here we go with answering some of the questions and concerns that came out of here, and see what happens April 30th with the referendum."  The village estimates the prison would generate 1.1 million dollars a year in grants in lieu of taxes, the equivalent of taxes on 11-hundred homes. Photo: Residents listen to officials at prison meeting at Charles Bloom School (P.McIntyre)