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Categories: Photo Du JourWindsor

South West Detention Centre

Yesterday morning happened to be the third and final of the public open house/information sessions in Windsor in the initial phase of the new Windsor Jail a.k.a. the South West Detention Centre .

I asked the people there, if the roof in the concept was a Green Roof, and if they were planning on making the structure as energy efficient as possible. They told me, while there are no final plans, they would like a Green Roof, and to follow some LEED guidelines if possible.

This is a great chance to build a showpiece of modern architecture in this city. Rather than fighting the province over the location, which is away from 98% of the population of the City of Windsor, we should be fighting the province to build it properly.

Let’s fight for a Green Roof
Let’s fight for Solar Panels
Let’s fight for Rainwater recycling
Let’s fight for a LEED structure

This constant bickering is embarrassing, and it’s no wonder that the province never listens to Windsor.

The site has been selected off the 8th Concession near the 401, in the middle of nowhere, and the Environment Assessment process is scheduled to be underway from November, 2008 to March, 2009.

So, after listening to NIMBY tears for the last several weeks, I decided to investigate the site of the new jail this morning for myself. As you can see the location is in the middle of nowhere.

Concerned NIMBY’s have taken to spray painting the sign “Help Eddie” & “No Jail”

An aerial view of the immediate area. There is a soccer club immediately south, and along the 8th concession a handful of homes, as well as two oddly located residential streets (one of which – Joy Rd. is visible at the top).

Other that what 100 people? There is next to no residential in the area. It seems to me we couldn’t ask for a better location for the new jail.

Despite the best attempt at fear mongering by the local media, saying the new jail is to be located at Walker Rd. and the 401, as you can see it’s not.

We all know the biggest fear everyone has is that if there is a jail break that the Costco or one of the other big box stores will be robbed. So I took a scientific study and charted the two possible escape routes to Costco from the new jail. As you can see, the closest route is still over 3.5 km away. 🙂

Honestly though, it was embarrassing sitting in that room yesterday listening to the NIMBY’s speak with raised voices to the representatives from Correctional Services.

I haven’t never heard so many ill formed, inarticulate opinions spoken so loudly in public since the Enwin water rate meetings.

It’s a shame that this is the face Windsor’s puts out to the province.

**[EDIT] I forgot to add that if you have any comments, one way or the other, you can send them along though the website, which can be found at: http://ontario.ca/swdc. Don’t forget that even if you agree with the proposed location, you should let the Ministry know. I’m sure they’re hearing all the NIMBY negative comments, but they also need to hear from those who think this is a good location.

Andrew

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  • well that ain't a bad spot at all!! and if we're REALLY lucky, this will cut the legs off our runaway sprawl!! of course, i guess alot of people who have a problem with living near one don't realize that that neighbourhood is going to be the very last place the escapee is going to want to hang out in. i guess your car is at risk but that's it.
    but i understand the NIMBY's concerns. after all, they moved way out there to get away from the criminal element in the core. you know, the place where their "get everything they want" children go in daddy's SUV, stir the pot, sell some coke, and still make it home in time for dinner with the family and homework.
    would be nice if the design incorperated some sort of.......i don't know.....design.
    how boring can you get?!

  • also: "help us eddie, help us! some criminal is going to break out and start VANDALIZING PRIVATE PROPERTY"
    LOL stupid people. like eddie heads out that way anyhow lol

  • Well done! Excellent coverage of this issue, Andrew. All I can say is that I heartily agree 100%

  • I live close by to the proposed site and I could care less. I agree- the last place they're gonna hang out is sittin' on my deck having a beer. How many breaks are reported anyway? Even so, a new facility should have top of the line defence in mind. No one will ever be happy with a site becuase it's always going to be near someone's neighbourhood. Like I said, I live very close by just off the 6th conc and 401 and I don't think it's a black eye to my area. Hey, and it might create some jobs!!!

  • Have now finally seen the site I might change my stance on this issue. I hate to say it but i do frequent the Best Buy out this way and usually come to Windsor from "The Burg" via Walker and was a little concerned about the proximity to Walker as was so reported. Now that I'm actually seeing something on paper (or computer screen in this case) I actually think it should go there rather than the Brighton Beach area like everyone else is wanting. Now that I think about it Brighton Beach isnt so good a spot since I like work in front of the Salt Mine.

  • Thanks Aaron - Daylight savings time... That happens when the clock on the server doesn't change.

    I think I've managed to work around it though. As long as the clock on the server isn't updated ;)

  • I ride my bike by the present jail on Brock at least 3 times a week. It is on my route through Malden, Mic Mac, then eventually down the river trail. As of today, considering I've probably gone by the place about 1000x I've noticed 0 escape attempts. I would think if the tons of residential homes across the street haven't harbored fugitives, than a big box chain 4 km away will be even less attractive. Convicts will probably bee line to the Hooters anyways, apparently it gets lonely in jail.

  • One hundred years from now that jail house will be smack dab in the middle of a well established neighbourhood and the residents will be raising their voices to save "their" jail from demolition. C'est la vie.
    .

  • They should have put it in the Sandwich/Brighton Beach area, closer to the courthouse. It's way too far from the courthouse. With all the traffic congestion along Provincial, it'll take forever to move prisoners back and forth, which means a lot of unnecessary tax dollars wasted on jail personel and tire wear.

    Also, the sprawlers now have grounds to claim for huge reductions in their property tax assessments because they're close to a jail, which means they'll pay less tax as an incentive for sprawling and burdening the rest of us who live in the older part of the city. It's not like the property values could possibly get any lower in Sandwich/Brighton Beach. Not that anyone wants to live there anyway.

    Why is it that all the public work projects in this city end up raising my taxes higher than it should be? Maybe I should just sprawl to fu-ck nowhere.

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