COVID-19 update for correctional employees: January 20, 2023

COVID-19, the flu, and other respiratory illnesses continue to circulate in our communities. I appreciate your efforts in keeping yourselves, and those in our care and custody, as healthy as possible. 

Visit to Shepody Healing Centre

I was pleased to visit Shepody Healing Centre in the Atlantic Region this week with the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. I was joined by:

• Tony Matson, Assistant Commissioner, Corporate Services
• Adele MacInnis-Meagher, Acting Regional Deputy Commissioner
• Marla Kavalak, Warden of Dorchester
• Marc Cormier, Regional Director Health Services
• Julie Bédard, Executive Director of Shepody; and
• members of our Health Services team

We had the privilege of speaking with some of our hard-working staff during a tour of the facility. 

We also discussed progress being made on the future Health Centre of Excellence that was announced back in February 2019. This centre will further enhance CSC’s ability to address the health needs of federal offenders in New Brunswick as well as in Nova Scotia. Once built, the new centre will also promote greater access to services for underserved groups such as women and aging offenders.  It will also provide an improved work environment for staff who deliver services and care to the offenders.

With our partners at Public Services and Procurement Canada, we have been working with a consultant company on the pre-design phase of the project, which is expected to be completed in summer 2024. This winter, we will continue to conduct focus groups at local sites, as well as regional and national headquarters, to help ensure that this facility meets the needs of both staff and inmates. Thank you to everyone who helped facilitate this visit, and to all who shared their input with us. We will continue to update you on this important project.

Bell Let’s Talk Day

Wednesday, January 25, is Bell Let’s Talk Day. This annual campaign focusses on the importance of mental health. This year’s theme is “Let’s create positive change.”

According to Statistics Canada’s survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health, one in four Canadians aged 18 and older screened positive for symptoms of:

• depression
• anxiety, or
• posttraumatic stress disorder

If you, or someone you know, is feeling:

• stressed
• overwhelmed
• anxious
• depressed, or
• just needs someone to talk to

please reach out.

Our Employee Assistance Program referral agents offer confidential and non-judgemental support and help, and can suggest the appropriate internal and external resources to respond to your needs. 

LifeWorks is also available to all CSC employees, and their family members, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Learn more about CSC’s Mental Health Continuum Model, which illustrates signs of both good and poor mental health with suggested actions you can take for each level on the continuum.

Lincoln Alexander Day

January 21 is Lincoln Alexander Day, which celebrates and honours one of Canada’s leading figures in the fight for racial equity. Lincoln Alexander was elected as the first Black Canadian member of Parliament in 1968, and represented Hamilton West until 1980. In 1979, he was the federal Minister of Labour. He was a trailblazer who championed:

• racial equality
• the advancement of education, and
• youth issues

He became the 24th lieutenant-governor of Ontario in 1985, and also served as Chancellor of the University of Guelph from 1991 to 2007. Lincoln Alexander spent his life advocating and breaking down racial barriers to make Canada a better place for everyone. Lincoln Alexander Day is an opportunity to learn more about the significant contributions that Black Canadians continue to make in shaping Canada.

International Day of Education 

Next Tuesday, January 24, marks the fifth International Day of Education. This year’s theme, “to invest in people, prioritize education,” emphasizes the importance of access to education for all. I would like to thank all teachers at CSC who are dedicated to supporting offenders through our education programs. Your contributions to improving their:

• literacy
• academic, and
• personal skills

help increase their chances of successful reintegration in our communities. 

Public Service Employee Survey

There are only two weeks left to participate in the 2022-2023 Public Service Employee Survey (PSES). As of January 17, only 27.3% of CSC employees had completed the survey. I encourage all of you to participate before the survey officially closes on February 5.

This is your chance to voice your opinion on important topics, such as:

• your workplace
• employee engagement
• workplace well-being, and
• equity and inclusion

Participating in the PSES is a small gesture that can have a big impact on our workplace. In doing so, please rest assured that your responses are confidential and protected under the Privacy Act and the Statistics Act.

You can find your personal invitation in your Outlook inbox by searching for the terms ‘Statistics Canada’ or ‘Public Service Employee Survey’. If you do not have regular access to a computer at work, you may forward the survey to a personal email account and complete it on a personal device. If you cannot locate your invitation, or have any questions, please contact CSC’s PSES Secretariat at:

• CSC-PSES-SAFF-SCC.GEN-NHQ@CSC-SCC.GC.CA

Your opinion matters. 

Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year begins on Sunday, January 22. It is celebrated globally by two billion people, mainly from East Asian cultures, such as:

• Chinese
• South Korean
• Vietnamese
• Singaporean
• Malaysian
• Filipino, and
• Indonesian

Celebrations range from three days in South Korea, to 15 days in China, where 2023 is the year of the rabbit. I wish those of you celebrating great happiness and prosperity!