The provincial government is providing funding to expand the jails in Kenora and Thunder Bay.
Northern Development Minister Greg Rickford has announced additional cells for both facilities.
Rickford says the Environmental Assessment for the addition in Kenora has already started.
“Up to 50 new single cells. But that number isn’t precise as it stands, it’s just one that I felt comfortable saying on-site there is the potential for. This will be a significant investment.”
Rickford adds the addition to the jail will be modular in nature.
The Kenora-Rainy River MPP expects work on the expansion to begin next spring.
The government is also proceeding with the construction of a temporary facility at the Correctional Centre on Highway 61 in Thunder Bay to deal with overcrowding.
The move comes as the province continues to look at building a new jail in the Lakehead.
The government is in the process of developing the Request for Proposal for the new facility and that’s expected to be completed in early 2021.
Meantime, the province is adding more correctional officers for the region.
The government has announced the hiring of 35 new officers with nine to work at facilities in northern Ontario including the Fort Frances jail.
They are recent graduates of a training program that this time was done both virtually and in person.
Others will work in Thunder Bay, Kenora, Sault Ste. Marie and Iroquois Falls.
