With the aim to be up and running in April, 2009, the walls are up at the new aboriginal youth detained custody centre being built on Eighth Street here.
“It remains on schedule. The new facility is expected to become operational by the spring of 2009,” said Ministry of Community and Social Services spokeswoman Anne Machowski-Smith.
Construction on the facility started in March.
The ministry announced its plans in June, 2007 to build an aboriginal youth detained custody centre on provincially-owned land on Eighth Street at Christie Avenue.
The Ontario Realty Corp. (ORC) is overseeing construction of the new facility.
Once completed, the centre will be a secure custody facility that will accommodate up to 12 aboriginal youth aged 12-17 from Northwestern Ontario who are being detained or serving sentences.
According to the ministry, the youth detained custody facility will have an architectural design that reflects aboriginal themes, and a ceremonial space to help young people to learn and practise aboriginal traditions.
It will be separated into areas for male and female youths, with eight beds for males and four beds for females.
The new facility will provide aboriginal youth with services in line with their culture, including spiritual, education, and life skills programs. It is the first secure custody facility for youth in Canada designed for aboriginal young people in conflict with the law.
The centre will be managed and operated by an aboriginal service provider. As to their choice of who that provider will be, Machowski-Smith said the ministry will “communicate that information in the future.”
A consortium consisting of Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-Zhing Advisory Services, Weech-it-te-win Family Services, Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre, Seven Generations Education Institute, Fort Frances Tribal Area Health Authority, and Creighton Youth Services submitted a proposal to run the facility back in January.
As reported at that time, the consortium has put together a comprehensive educational program to help the youths develop skills.
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