Dauphin courthouse reopening is formally announced months after it began operating

The Manitoba government announced a formal reopening for the Dauphin courthouse on Thursday, though court proceedings have been held in the new facility since July. Renovations expanded space, improved accessibility and security, and cost about $15 million.

The provincial government announced a formal reopening for the Dauphin courthouse on Thursday even though court proceedings have been conducted in the new facility since July. The courthouse at 114 River Ave. West is reported to have fully reopened on July 7 last year, according to the Manitoba Courts website. The project followed the May 2020 closure of the Dauphin Correctional Centre to allow renovations that separated the jail and courthouse functions. Officials say the work aimed to improve access to justice and create a safer, more welcoming space. Key details: - The article reports the courthouse fully reopened on July 7 last year and court work has been held there since that reopening. - Renovations added more holding cells, enhanced security, accessibility upgrades, better video-conferencing, and more offices and meeting spaces for lawyers and clients. - The total cost of the upgrades is reported as about $15 million; the article says the PCs issued an $11-million tender in 2021 for project construction management, awarded to Bockstael Construction, and an additional $4 million was spent after pandemic-related increases. - The former Progressive Conservative government is reported to have closed the jail in 2020 because the 1917 building was said to be no longer up to code; that closure drew opposition from NDP members and from former Dauphin mayor Allen Dowhan, the article says. - NDP Justice Minister Matt Wiebe is quoted saying the upgrades make the courthouse safer and more welcoming, and he said the province is "fast-tracking" work to begin a new Centre for Justice to address services lost when the jail closed. - The province also announced about $33,000 in grants from the Criminal Property Forfeiture Fund for local policing and crime-prevention projects in the Parkland region, including allocations for police dog crates, ceremonial uniforms for a First Nation safety officer program, and a community police academy. Summary: The reopening concludes a multi-year renovation that separated courthouse and jail functions and aimed to improve how justice services are delivered in Dauphin. The province has said it will fast-track construction of a new Centre for Justice to address service gaps from the jail closure, and modest grant funding for regional policing projects was announced. Timelines for the Centre for Justice construction were not provided.