Ontario’s Ombudsman’s office is critical of the way the province handled the closure of several youth custody facilities, including two in Northwestern Ontario last year.
The report called “Lost Opportunities” says the government relied on an over-reliance of secrecy in planning the abrupt closure of the youth custody and detention programs in Kenora and Thunder Bay.
The Creighton Youth Center in Kenora and the JJ Kelso Youth Center were among 25 programs shut down on March 1, 2021.
The Ombudsman’s report says the closures were shrouded in secrecy and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services avoided transparency.
The two programs housed four youths at the time and some were moved using handcuffs and shackles and moved at only a few hours notice.
The Ombudsman makes 16 recommendations about such closures in the future, which it says the Ministry has accepted.
