Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew says the government should build the first provincial Healing Lodge in Manitoba to replace the soon-to-be-defunct Dauphin Correctional Centre.

Kinew says the proposed healing lodge would support the 80 workers who will have to look for other placements once the correctional centre closes in May, and would adhere to one of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.

Kinew adds that the proposed healing lodge in Dauphin is just the first step in this plan, and they would like to see it expand further north if the proposal goes through.  He explains in the initial stages people would be travelling however they know it benefits rehabilitation if people are closer to family, friends and community so if they get the Dauphin Healing Lodge up and running they’d like to look at other provincial facilities in other regions across Manitoba so that people could be closer to family and friends if they are in need of rehabilitation so that they could see other opportunities to bring employment and services to other regions including the north.

Kinew says this is a major priority for the NDP and they will be bringing it up once the new session begins in Legislature next month.