Re: Gilmour Street Parole Office
On Sept. 11, 2006, former public safety minister Stockwell Day made a written commitment to the community that the Parole Office would comply with its own guidelines and vacate its present location
opposite Elgin Street Public School and the Minto Park Monument to Murdered and Abused Women by the beginning of the 2009 school year.
Unfortunately, Correctional Services Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada are now disregarding their former minister’s commitment.
The community, parents and children are being told that the Parole Office will not be gone until “spring 2010.”
This is a very disappointing development in this ongoing saga, especially since a follow-up commitment was made by Public Works in April 2008 that the Parole Office would be closed by now.
There was a further commitment by than the director of the Parole
Office as recently as May 2009 that they would be gone by September.
At present, CSC continues to violate its own written policy not to have a Parole Office within 300 metres of a school or playground.
It is unconscionable that officials at CSC and PWGSC can make sweeping promises and then after three years of lead time show they are still incapable of moving on time.
Minister Day, on behalf of the federal government, gave this community a commitment to move the Parole Office by the 2009 school year. Our children’s school year has begun and the Ottawa Parole Office must cease operations in front of Elgin Street Public School and Minto Park immediately.
Given the lost credibility of Parole Office and Public Works officials on this issue, political accountability is now required.
The current minister for public safety, Peter Van Loan, and the minister for public works, Christian Paradis, should intervene, show leadership and ensure that the re-location will take place without further delay.
As we tell our children: a promise is a promise.
Albert Galpin,
60 Frank St.