A lasting tribute: CSC unveils memorial in Kingston to honour the fallen

October 31, 2025

On Wednesday, October 29, Correctional Service Canada (CSC) unveiled a long-awaited memorial to honour CSC staff who have fallen in the line of duty. The ceremony, held at CSC’s National Training Academy and Ontario and Nunavut Regional Headquarters, drew hundreds of attendees – including CSC staff, community members, and the friends and families of those being honoured.

The memorial, which features plaques etched with the faces of the 35 fallen CSC staff members, stands as a solemn tribute to those who lost their lives in the line of duty while serving and protecting Canadians.

“This memorial stands as a lasting testament to their courage, commitment, sacrifice, and service,” said CSC Commissioner Anne Kelly. “It is a place for reflection, remembrance, and unity.”

The memorial stands on the grounds of CSC’s National Training Academy and Regional Headquarters, just around the corner from the now-decommissioned Kingston Penitentiary (KP) – a site that holds deep historical significance.

“Kingston Penitentiary opened its doors to its first inmates on June 1, 1835 and we’ve been in this community for the last 190 years,” said Ontario and Nunavut Regional Deputy Commissioner (RDC) Kevin Snedden. “It’s fitting that as you stand at the memorial and you look out, you look out to the birthplace of this organization.”

For Daphne Jenkins, who was in attendance during Wednesday’s ceremony, that significance is deeply personal: her father, William Wentworth, was killed in the line of duty at KP in 1961.

“I’ve been here a few times by myself, and I come and sit here on the bench. I sit there and I see my dad’s picture and I think ‘it’s really real’” Daphne says. “That’s what really hits me, that people can go up there and see what it stands for.”

Daphne began holding vigils for her father outside of KP in 1994, which got the attention of officers at the institution who were touched by her story. On Wednesday, she continued that tradition of honour by laying wreaths at the newly unveiled memorial, paying tribute not only to her father but to all fallen CSC staff.

“I would never have thought, years ago, when I did the picket at the pen that it would lead to this.”

Correctional Manager and Ontario Regional Commander for the Guard of Honour, Matt Smith, was also in attendance at the ceremony.

Matt was among the first members of the memorial committee formed in 2006, along with Gord McLeod, Dave St. Onge, James Joyce, Donna Morrin, Scott Ritchie and Donna Maillet. The group began raising awareness and money for a memorial. Chris Veech and Ed Melanson Sr. joined the committee shortly after and were crucial in making it a reality.

Each CSC regional headquarter, along with National Headquarters, has a memorial to fallen staff in their lobby. They are also honoured nationally through the annual Police and Peace Officers' Memorial in Ottawa. However, until now, there was no dedicated national memorial specifically for the Service. For members of the committee, witnessing the unveiling of a memorial that recognizes fallen staff, after nearly 20 years of advocacy, was a special moment.

“It’s been a long road to get to this day and there are so many people responsible for getting here,” Matt says.

Daphne also wanted to recognize two committee members who did not have the chance to see their hard work come to life – Jim Joyce, an original committee member, passed away in 2014 and Ed Melanson Sr. passed away in 2025.

“He put a lot into this, they both did, and it’s sad they aren’t seeing this.”

Matt was also thankful for Commissioner Kelly and RDC Snedden’s’s support in helping secure funding from CSC to help them reach their final goal after years of fundraising.

For Matt and everyone who played a role in making the memorial a reality, this is incredibly important to not just share the names and the faces of the fallen, but to tell their stories.

“They all have unique stories to tell,” he says. “And we need to share those stories.”

For families, colleagues, and CSC staff across the country, this memorial offers a place to reflect, remember, and honour those who will never be forgotten.