"WHEREAS the Province of Ontario has announced the closure of the correctional facility located in the City of Owen Sound, and

WHEREAS a Provincial Correction Facility has been located in the City of Owen Sound since the 1800s and is an important part of the correctional services system in Grey County; and

WHEREAS closure of the Owen Sound correctional facility and relocation of correctional services to facilities located several hours from the City of Owen Sound will have a negative impact on the families and citizens of Grey County; and

WHEREAS closure of the Owen Sound correctional facility and relocation of correctional services outside Grey County will have a negative impact on the employees and their families who work in the Owen Sound correctional facility; and

WHEREAS closure of the Owen Sound correctional facility and relocation of correctional services outside Grey County will have a negative impact on the ability of those charged or convicted of an offence to meet in person with legal counsel; and

WHEREAS the Province recently invested over $200,000 in upgrades to the Owen Sound Correctional Facility; and

WHEREAS the removal of the jail will have a direct impact on the economy of this area and cause further hardship to the local ratepayers and service providers,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Corporation of the City of Owen Sound requests that the Provincial Government of Ontario postpone the closure of the Owen Sound Correctional Facility until a new correctional facility can be built in a fully serviced community in Grey County in order to fairly accommodate the needs of those citizens convicted of minor offences and their families, the employees of the facility and their families, and further

THAT a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Honourable Premier Dalton

McGuinty, Honourable Jim Bradley, Minister of Community Safety & Correctional Services, Bill Murdoch, MPP, Bruce Grey Owen Sound, Wardens of Grey and Bruce Counties, Association of Municipalities of Ontario and Ontario Association of Police Chiefs."