B.C. town already benefiting from new jail even before it opens, mayor says

The Okanagan town of Oliver is already benefiting from a new provincial jail even before it opens, according to the town's mayor.

Construction of the 378-cell Okanagan Correctional Centre is almost complete and the province plans to start housing inmates in the facility early next year.

The centre is located on Osoyoos Indian Band land in a rural area outside of Oliver. Once it is fully operational, 300 people are expected to work there.

"We've had the busiest housing market that we've seen in decades," Oliver's mayor, Ron Havanes, told Daybreak South host, Chris Walker.

"We've also had two new subdivision starts, which we haven't had in a number of decades."

Hovanes said he expects that the jail's long-term impact on the community will be "huge," both economically and socially.

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"I was told a long time ago, 'you're going to want these officers and these workers in your area because they're good, upstanding people, they're coaches, they work in your community."

"We're already seeing that as well. One of the officers [who will work at the jail], she's been on the parent advisory committee for the last year and a half."

Oliver's infrastructure is in good shape and the town can handle the influx of new residents, said Hovanes.

He pointed out two new grocery stores have opened in Oliver. The town also has a brand new high school.

"I think we're well situated to receive a few more people into our community," he said.

The one concern he has is the pressure the growing population might have on the local RCMP detachment.

"We've been offered some assurances that the province is going to make sure if there is any increase in workload, as far as policing, that they're going to take care of it," said Hovanes.

With files from CBC Radio's Daybreak South