Leak at Abbotsford prison complex leached chemicals for 4 years, says report [Video]

A federal investigation has found that management at the Matsqui prison complex in Abbotsford failed to adequately respond to a serious leak, resulting in millions of litres of chemically treated water leaching chemicals into the soil for almost four years.

A case report tabled Tuesday (March 19) in Parliament from Public Sector Integrity Commissioner Harriet Holloway concluded that Correctional Service Canada (CSC) staff had committed “gross mismanagement.”

“Many individuals in management positions were aware of the leak, and they failed to take sufficient action to mitigate impacts over a period of years,” Holloway wrote in the report.

The chemically treated water leached into soil near an aquifer, agricultural lands and salmon habitats, the report states.

The investigation began in January 2022 after a whistleblower came forward, and 14 witnesses were interviewed.

The Matsqui prison complex on King Road is the site of Pacific Institution, which is situated on top of …