Commissioner's update for correctional employees: August 11, 2025

This content is a message to Correctional Service Canada (CSC) staff from CSC's Commissioner.

As you may have heard, many regions continue to be affected by wildfires. More recently, New Brunswick in the Atlantic Region has been dealing with serious fires. Our institutions are currently not impacted; however, some of our staff living in the surrounding areas may be. Please know that we are monitoring the situation closely. 

I know that events like these can be difficult, some of you may have family or friends in the area. My thoughts are with you. 

Thank you for your continued care and resilience.

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

August 9 marked International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples—a day to promote awareness and protect the rights, cultures, and contributions of Indigenous communities.

• Statement on International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples - Canada.ca

At CSC, we are committed to respecting Indigenous perspectives on justice and reconciliation. This commitment is reflected in our culturally responsive programs and services that support the care, custody, and reintegration of Indigenous offenders. There is still work to do, but through collaboration with Indigenous partners and stakeholders, we strive to foster healing and improve outcomes for those in our care.

I strongly believe that reconciliation is a shared journey—one that calls for reflection, learning, and meaningful action.

Let us honour this day by reaffirming our dedication to respect, cultural awareness, and the ongoing work of reconciliation.

Prisoner Justice Day

Yesterday was Prisoner Justice Day—a time to reflect on the lives lost in custody and to acknowledge the importance of upholding human rights and dignity for all individuals, including those who are incarcerated.

This day serves as a solemn reminder of the need for compassion, accountability, and continued efforts to ensure safe conditions within our correctional system. It is also an opportunity for us to honour the work being done every day by staff to support rehabilitation and uphold the values of respect and justice.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to creating a safer, more equitable environment for everyone in our care and custody.

Public Service Pride Week Events

As you may know, Public Service Pride Week is coming up and I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you upcoming events our staff across the country will be participating in or have already attended.

• Public Service Pride Week Event Calendar

I am inviting staff to participate virtually to an inspiring and compelling panel discussion on Wednesday, August 20. During this event we will hear from 2SLGBTQIA+ voices from within CSC to learn more about their lived experiences in the field of changing lives and protecting Canadians. More details to come.

In Ottawa, many will gather to participate in the Capital Pride Parade on August 24.

In the Atlantic region, CSC had a float in the Moncton River of Pride Parade on Saturday. I also heard that some of our staff participated in the Truro, Nova Scotia parade in late June.

In the Pacific region, members of Kent’s Equity, Equity, and Diversity Committee and the Wellness Committee came together to transform a simple sidewalk into a vibrant symbol of inclusion. It represents visibility, acceptance, and solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. For Kent, this is a commitment to building a workplace culture rooted with respect, equity, and belonging. Values we should all strive for here at CSC.

I want to thank everyone who is helping with the organization of these events.

New “The Service, for Canada” Video and Highlighting Front-line Fridays

I encourage you to watch the latest “The Service, for Canada” video where we meet Brittany, a Primary Worker in the Pacific Region and learn about the hard important work she does every day to keep our institutions and Canadians safe.

• The Service, for Canada - Canada.ca

I also wanted to share that I am also excited to announce that we will be launching “Front-Line Friday”, across all our social media accounts. Every Friday, we will be highlighting the important work our front-line staff such as Correctional Officers do every day in service for Canadians.

Follow along as we put the focus on you and your work — from the front-line across Canada. I want to thank you very much for all that you do!

Launch of the 2025 Student Experience Survey

I am happy to announce that the 2025 Student Experience Survey is now available. This captures students’ feedback on their work experience in the federal public service and provides a snapshot of their perceptions at the end of their summer term.

The data will help us understand how we can continue to provide students with meaningful work experiences and position the public service as an employer of choice.

I strongly encourage students to participate. You have until September 5, 2025, to fill out the survey. Look out for the email invitation from Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat to fill out the survey.

Thank you for continued dedication and hard work.

 

“Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.”