About Us

We are a group of Kemptville, Ontario residents opposed to the provincial government's proposed plan for a new 235-bed prison within our town (part of the Municipality of North Grenville). Without any consultation or warning, the Government of Ontario announced plans to build this facility - the "Greater Ottawa Correctional Complex", later renamed the "Eastern Ontario Correctional Complex" on a unique parcel of farmland in Kemptville as part of an ill-conceived strategy to expand jail capacity across the eastern Ontario region.

Sustaining Our Future Together

We recognize that there are many groups and individuals with varied reasons for supporting a positive vision of Kemptville’s future and therefore opposing the proposed prison. Our goal is to provide a collective platform for a concerted effort to “Sustain Our Future Together” and promote the goodwill that can be generated when we work together to ensure a healthy future for our community.

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We believe Kemptville’s future lies in opportunities for positive economic growth,
supporting local business development, promoting tourism, celebrating its history, and
championing the natural beauty in and around our town and municipality.

They Paved Paradise

(And Put up a Jail)

The land to be used represents an important component of our agricultural and farming heritage. Already identified opportunities for innovative and visionary uses for the property, in keeping with its natural features and historical significance, will be lost forever should this plan proceed. We deserve better.

Losing Kemptville's Character and Its Vision for the Future

The Government's plan would see the new Kemptville facility house all Ottawa and area sentenced provincial prisoners, as well as an undefined number of prisoners on remand.  Ottawa has a population of well over 1,000,000 people and was recently cited as one of the fastest growing municipalities in Canada. Kemptville’s current population is 250 times smaller than Ottawa’s (about 4,000 people) and simply does not have the infrastructure to accommodate the proposed prison. Kemptville’s unique character and small-town charm, as well as the vision for its future, will not be sustainable should this proposed prison be built.

Please visit our issues page to learn about the many reasons people are concerned about this plan.