A symbol of excellence: CORCAN develops awards and receives praise
In the CORCAN shop at Warkworth Institution, a laser imprints the Real Property Institute of Canada (RPIC) logo in the top right corner of the final design for the RPIC Awards of Excellence. This comes after months of consultation and planning, creating an award that represents the missions of both RPIC and Correctional Service Canada (CSC).
CORCAN is a special operating agency within CSC. It offers the Employment and Employability Program to federal offenders throughout their sentence. This enhances their ability to seek and maintain employment while transitioning back into the community.
After CORCAN delivered a presentation at the Canadian Institute for Procurement and Material Management’s (CIPMM) national symposium in June, 2025, RPIC members in the audience came to them looking for ways to collaborate.
“They were inspired by CORCAN’s mandate,” says Kevin Arsenault, CORCAN Senior Director, Operations.
By November, CORCAN had designed and produced custom plaques for RPIC’s Awards of Excellence, a project that differed from the typical products created in CORCAN shops but fit perfectly within their capabilities.
“From the laser work to the powder‑coating to the wood bases, every part of the award was crafted here,” says Rob Ingram, CORCAN Production Supervisor at Warkworth Institution. “The timeline was tight, but the team took pride in delivering something meaningful.”
Much of the design was left to CORCAN’s team, who chose to incorporate Indigenous elements as a central feature. RPIC was enthusiastic about this direction, recognizing how it elevated both CORCAN’s craftsmanship and the representation of Indigenous culture.
The design and creation of the RPIC award plaques involved many areas of the CORCAN shop at Warkworth Institution
RPIC is a non-profit that delivers professional development in the real property field to public sector employees. Because of their mandate, many of their board members have years of experience in the public service. Several of them were familiar with CORCAN through this work, so it seemed a natural fit.
The award ceremony took place as part of RPIC’s annual summit, for which CORCAN also supplied mementos by developing coasters in the yellow, green, orange and blue of RPIC’s logo. Attendees were amazed with the quality and beauty of the coasters.
“People were fighting over the coasters,” recalls RPIC Executive Director Nancy Fahey. “People were so annoyed that we wouldn't give them four. It was unbelievable.”
Commissioner Anne Kelly showing off the RPIC coasters developed by CORCAN. The coasters were one of the most popular items given away at the summit.
At the award ceremony, CSC Commissioner Anne Kelly spoke to CORCAN’s role in helping CSC achieve its mandate of protecting Canadians and changing lives.
“CORCAN plays a key role by providing employment and employability programs to offender incarcerated in institutions and under community supervision,” Commissioner Kelly said. “They do fantastic work.”
Commissioner Kelly also emphasized the importance of partnerships with organizations like RPIC.
“To fulfill our mission, we rely on the rehabilitation opportunities and support provided by our partners. With their help, we can offer programs, build initiatives and facilitate access to education, all key components of community reintegration,” she said.
By highlighting CORCAN’s work at the summit, including its role in helping build temporary homes in Jasper as the community recovers from the devastating 2024 wildfires, RPIC hopes they can encourage other government departments and non-profits to collaborate with CORCAN in the future.
RPIC and CORCAN are already in discussion about designing the awards for 2026 and beyond. The partnership is one that covers multiple priorities for both organizations: rehabilitation, reconciliation and more.
CORCAN has left a lasting impression on RPIC as both organizations look forward to working together in the future.
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