Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson and Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced Friday that $8.9 million in project funding will be provided to support the Brandon Police Service Permanent Cell Build Project, which will construct a new modern detention facility in the community.
Premier Stefanson says that Manitobans are immensely grateful for law enforcement partners putting their health and safety at risk and their lives on the line to help protect them every day.
"Our government is taking action to ensure law enforcement partners have the tools they need to do their jobs. This investment will help create a new, better environment to enhance the safety of front-line officers and strengthen Manitoba’s public safety and corrections system,” she adds.
Stefanson went on to say that the new permanent detention facility will allow the Brandon Police Service to transition away from temporary modular cells the Manitoba government had previously funded to address interim demand and that the project, coupled with the temporary modular cells, initially received $4.4 million through the Manitoba Restart Program.
Minister Kelvin Goertzen says that the provincial government recognizes the value of modern detention facilities to meet the needs of law enforcement processes and individuals being detained.
“Despite the best efforts of the City of Brandon and Brandon Police Service, estimated project costs unexpectedly rose due to global inflation, so we have stepped up to help them realize this worthy project,” he adds.
According to Goertzen, construction of the new detention facility began in September, with cells scheduled to be completed by August 2023 and the attached vehicle bays being completed by January 2024.
More information can be found on the Province of Manitoba website.
