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J U N E 2 0 2 5 | 67 Nanaimo Correctional Centre Replacement NANAIMO CORRECTIONAL CENTRE REPLACEMENT by LAURIE JONES S et adjacent to a serene lake- side location in Nanaimo, B.C., the redesigned Nanaimo Correctional Centre (NCC) reflects a movement towards new methods of incarceration by creating envi- ronments that allow individuals in custody to see themselves differently, which can help to support change and the successful reintegration to society. The original buildings on site were built in 1953 for a reform school, which were converted to a correctional facility in the 1980s. After determining the complex had reached the end of its lifespan, plans began to convert the tree-lined property into a campus-style envi- ronment, allowing the over 200 residents to build toward a new life. David Friesen, provincial direc- tor of capital with BC Corrections, says after an extensive planning period, construction on the new facility began in 2021. "The property covers 127 acres of mostly agricultural area that was used for farming in the past. About 30 acres of this comprises the secure site for the correctional cen- tre," he explains. "When the project started, we reconfigured the secure perimeter around the core of the old facility to allow the centre to continue operating during the construction period. In April 2024, staff and resi- dents transferred to the new facility." Friesen adds one notable aspect of the NCC is the addition of female residents. "The female unit within the new centre provides short-term, interim accommodation for women on Vancouver Island rather than being held in police lockups," he explains. Inspired by traditional Coast Salish plank houses, the architec- tural design of the multi-security level structures supports a strong connection to the natural environ- ment and an operational model rooted in healing. Arcadis project manager Gary Scrivens explains the campus-style layout of the facility is separated into zones of security lev- els, including low, medium, and high. "There are 12 buildings through- out the complex, with the main admin building being four sto- reys. Visually, it is like what you would see on a university campus for residence buildings." He adds the NCC has 200 resident beds, all with private washroom features. "When designing a facility with the different levels of security on the same campus, that's really challenging," says Phi Ho, Arcadis technology archi- tect. "We had to create some unique steps between the architectural design and the technology to be able to sup- port the high, medium, and low, and reintegration or transition into the community, all in one facility." Ho explains one of the most important aspects of the technol- ogy incorporated in the NCC complex was improving the recovery or response time to inform corrections officers. "Back in the day, they used physical servers. When one server failed, the other server would have to start up, but it was never smooth. It would take days, up to a week for P H OTO G R A P H Y BY S E A N S T E WA RT/CO U RT E S Y B C CO R R EC T I O N S

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