Ontario takes next step to build new provincial jail in Brockville, Ont.

The 183-year-old Brockville Jail in Brockville, Ont. The Ontario government is moving to build a new correctional facility to replace the current jail. March 16, 2026. (Josh Marano/CTV News Ottawa)

The Ontario government is taking the next step to build a new provincial jail in eastern Ontario to replace the historic Brockville Jail and expand the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre.

Premier Doug Ford visited Brockville on Monday to announce Ontario is issuing a Request for Qualifications to build the new Brockville Correctional Complex and expand the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre.

Under the plan, 295 new correction beds will be added in eastern Ontario.

“Our government is cracking down on criminals by building jails and strengthening the bail system to keep violent offenders where they belong: behind bars,” Ford said in a statement.

“The Brockville expansion is part of our plan to add over 1,400 beds in correctional facilities across the province and ensure lack of space is never an excuse to grant offenders early release.”

Ford told reporters the new Brockville Correctional Centre and the expanded St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre will lead to more than 400 additional jobs for correctional service officers.

The project will replace the current 183-year-old Brockville Jail.

Under the plan, the new Brockville Correctional Complex will have 270 beds for men with classification levels that will include maximum, medium, minimum, and specialized care, according to the province. The expansion of St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre will build 25 new beds for women.

The Brockville Correctional Complex and St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre is located in the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley, bordering Brockville.

In November, Ontario took the next phase in building the new Brockville Correctional Centre and expand the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional Treatment Centre with the demolition of 10 buildings on the site.

Construction on the new facilities is scheduled to begin in June 2027.

Solicitor General Michael Kerzner told reporters the Ontario government is moving “100 per cent” moving forward with plans for a new provincial jail in Kemptville, Ont.

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