A new state-of-the-art Health Centre of Excellence is planned to help treat federal offenders at the Dorchester Penitentiary.
President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic Leblanc announced the new facility Friday morning on behalf of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair.
“The new 155-bed, bilingual Health Centre of Excellence will be located at the Dorchester Penitentiary and help strengthen the Correctional Service of Canada’s capacity to address the healthcare needs of federal offenders,” Leblanc says.
Once completed, it will replace the current Shepody Centre.
Leblanc says this is a federal investment of between $300 and $400 million, “For a state-of-the-art facility, that will be purpose-built, providing an innovative and therapeutic environment to help inmates heal, work and learn.”
He adds, “This project will make Dorchester Penitentiary a national leader in the healthcare treatment of federal offenders and will obviously create good-paying jobs in the community.”
A pre-design phase will inform the design and construction phase of the project and include feasibility studies, consultation with stakeholders, and site options.
A contract is expected to be awarded in the fall.
As part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to Indigenous communities, bidders will be required to include an Indigenous architect in their proposal.
