Former President of Local OPSEU Representing Over 100 Brookside Youth Centre Staff Makes Statement About Closure

Pete Fisher
4 years ago
• Categories: Editor Choice, Local

Peter Harding (left) who is a Ministry Union Representative and former President of Local OPSEU 337 (Brookside Youth Centre) and Brad Cowling Local President OPSEU 337 were the last two union workers to leave the grounds of Brookside Youth Centre on Friday, February 12, 2021.
Harding issued a statement to Today’s Northumberland about the closure on Saturday, February 13, 2021. Over 100 union jobs were employed at Brookside Youth Centre along with other staff.

Brookside Youth Centre is officially closed as of last night.
Youth transferred to other public and private facilities.

I have seen lots of misleading information and as a Brookside Employer for over 30 years and the Provincial Union Representative I would like to clarify a few things.
Brookside was a 16 bed facility at time of closure.
Brookside was staffed to operate a 12 bed unit at time of closure.
Brookside recently had youth numbers lowered to facilitate training and comply with public health Covid precautions so there were only 5 youth in custody at closure.

The previous Provincial Government did many studies and decided the best way to deal with youth in custody was in smaller facilities so they decided they were going to build 3 small facilities in the GTA to replace the large Adult facility style Roy McMurtry Youth Centre. That facility would be repurposed to house Adult Female Inmates, moving them from Adult super jails and away from male adult offenders.

Brookside Youth Centre was to have a new 16 bed single building facility built on a small portion of the existing property. The majority of current Brookside property would then be sold by the Ontario Government to pay for the facility and reduce operating and maintenance costs.

The current Conservative Provincial Government cancelled all those plans early in their mandate.

With the closure of Brookside, the majority of youth that commit crimes that would result in an adult sentence of 2 years or more from our catchment area will be housed at Roy McMurty Youth Centre in Brampton and a small number possibly at a Privately run facility in Ottawa.

Brookside has evolved with various Legislative changes over the years. Brookside does not house any petty criminals. Murder, Rape, Terrorism, and Guns were the familiar offenses.

The Province currently has zero mental health beds for Young Offenders so they are housed in the same Units with all Young Offenders. Brookside workers attempted to create a mental health unit but the Province said no.

Youth in Custody range from 12 years old to some in their 20s. These youth are all housed together.

Staff of Brookside continue to be paid while the parties negotiate exit/transfer options.