#prison #AhuntsicCartierville #citizens #strongly #oppose #project
Faced with the concern raised by the construction of a new prison facility in their neighborhood, citizens of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, in Montreal, are mobilizing to oppose the project.
The district already houses the Bordeaux prison, the largest in Quebec.
TVA News
The population, including several families with young children, denounces inconveniences such as noise, cries of detainees, sounds coming from loudspeakers in addition to numerous deliveries by drone.
The Tanguay women’s prison not far from Bordeaux prison had to close its doors in 2016 due to the obsolescence of the building.
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Remember that in December 2022, the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, announced the construction of this other prison center whose work should take place between 2024 and 2030.
“We already have the largest prison in Quebec behind our house, why give us another one? It’s buffer land, it’s not vacant land. It’s land that is supposed to be there for people’s safety,” fumes Maryse Frédette, who is a resident of the area.
TVA News
“It happened on several occasions that the package [livré par drone] falls into our courtyards. A neighbor whose house fell on her roof, the police had to go up to the roof. In my case, there was a package that fell next to my daughters. What’s in there? It’s drugs, cell phones, knives,” says Patrick Curiale, another resident.
“We have been trying to meet Minister Bonnardel since August,” says Martin Chapdelaine.
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A first citizen meeting took place last Monday, while others should be held soon.
The ministry does not intend to back down
Contacted by TVA Nouvelles, the Ministry of Public Security said it was sensitive to residents’ concerns regarding the planned construction of a new establishment.
In this regard, he assures that “the project will be carried out while respecting the considerations of the neighborhood.”
“Citizen meetings will take place on this subject, before the work begins. In addition, a neighborhood committee will be set up to allow citizens to meet a few times a year to discuss the progress of the project and the repercussions in the community,” the ministry further specified.
Asked whether the location of the new prison could be re-evaluated due to opposition from local citizens, the ministry insisted on the merits of its choice.
“The land chosen belongs to the government of Quebec and it has had a prison vocation for more than 100 years. […] The move to the Leclerc-de-Laval Detention Establishment was a temporary situation and the location of the Maison Tanguay Detention Establishment has always been part of the reconstruction scenarios for the establishment,” he explained.
The ministry assures that its choice took exhaustive account of the opportunities offered by each land, and that a multitude of criteria were evaluated before choosing the current site, such as:
-The nature of the soil;
-Municipal regulations;
-The preservation of wetlands;
-Acquisition possibilities/difficulties;
-The surface area and configuration of the land;
-Proximity to the courthouse;
-The proximity of a hospital center with an emergency service;
-Access by public transport (frequency, coverage, etc.);
-Close to community and school partners;
-Proximity to emergency services.
The ministry also argued that the proximity of the current site to the Bordeaux detention establishment could facilitate the sharing of certain services.
