N.L. breaks ground on long-awaited prison, but opposition says it's simply election fodder

Alex Kennedy · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 16, 2025 2:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: June 16

Ground has breached connected the tract of the caller situation for the St. John's area, acceptable to regenerate the Victorian-era correctional installation that has been successful decay for years.

The provincial authorities announced Monday an aboriginal works statement has been signed with New Avalon Corrections Partners to statesman mentation enactment astatine the tract connected East White Hills Road.

Preparation enactment includes things similar cleaning the area, installing fencing astir the installation area, erosion and sediment power and more.

"After decades of contemplating a caller installation to regenerate Her Majesty's Penitentiary, this is simply a precise important time to galore arsenic we officially statesman the operation project," said Infrastructure Minister Elvis Loveless.

"The bottommost enactment is that we request a caller correctional facility. Today, we are delivering connected that commitment."

Justice Minister John Haggie told reporters the 20,000 square-metres installation volition location 300 beds and person a absorption connected attraction and rehabilitation. He added it volition beryllium designed to promote unit and inmate enactment successful a safe, unafraid and humane manner.

The installation volition besides see services for pistillate inmates and a wellness abstraction for unit members.

First announced successful the outpouring of 2019, a replacement for Her Majesty's Penitentiary has agelong been connected the provincial government's radar. The crumbling facility, which has sections dating backmost to the mid-1800s, has been plagued by a litany of issues successful caller years, similar rat infestations, utmost vigor and staffing shortages.

The state had initially acceptable speech $200 cardinal for the caller prisons construction. At the time, the maximum ceiling the state could spend was $325 cardinal — but rising ostentation changed plans.

The Government re-issued a petition for qualifications successful January 2024, penning successful a quality merchandise Monday that the parameters of the task were reevaluated with the purpose of "procuring a caller installation that is fiscally responsible."

On Monday, Loveless said caller estimates enactment the outgo of operation astatine $697 cardinal — including $150 cardinal from the national government. Construction is estimated to instrumentality astir 50 months erstwhile the last statement is expected to beryllium completed successful July, meaning the situation could beryllium operational successful 2029.

Haggie said a caller situation has been a agelong clip coming, successful portion due to the fact that of the outgo challenges.

"This process has been slower than we would person liked," Haggie told reporters. "It has ever been a hard precedence politically. It is simply a hard merchantability for a batch of people. And rather frankly, that doesn't marque it immoderate the little important."

'Election fodder'

Speaking with reporters astir an hr aft the announcement, PC justness professional Helen Conway Ottenheimer was incredulous.

"We are precise sceptical and doubtful astir what's going to travel retired of this," she said. "It's laughable. It truly is laughable. How tin we instrumentality this seriously?"

Conway Ottenheimer said her scepticism comes from the situation archetypal being promised successful 2019 and slated for completion successful 2024 oregon 2025. 

She believes authorities not sticking to its connection has wounded the province — portion questioning the timing of the announcement.

"Here we are today, different photo-op. And, you know, 1 has lone to inquire the question and wonderment if this is conscionable astir the information that we are connected the brink of a provincial election, and it is predetermination bait. It's predetermination fodder."

Download our free CBC News app to motion up for propulsion alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to sojourn our landing page.