Reopening of CORCAN farm operations

Backgrounder

As a result of the 2009 Government of Canada’s Strategic Review process, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) closed its six federal penitentiary farms, including two in the Kingston, Ontario. The six farms were located at:

·         Frontenac Institution (now part of Collins Bay Institution)

·         Pittsburg Institution (now part of Joyceville Institution)

·         Westmorland Institution (now part of Dorchester Penitentiary)

·         Bowden Institution

·         Riverbend Institution (now part of Saskatchewan Penitentiary)

·         Rockwood Institution (now part of Stony Mountain Institution)

In the Kingston area, farm operations at Collins Bay Institution involved dairy milk and egg production, while the Joyceville Institution farm operations involved a feedlot, meat processing plant, field crops, a greenhouse and composting.

At the time of the farm closures, CSC developed regional leasing plans for the farm lands and guidelines to ensure that an open, fair and transparent competitive process was available to all interested parties.

All equipment and assets were dispersed as required by established government processes.

In June 2016, at the request of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, CSC launched a feasibility study to review the 2009 decision to close the two CSC penitentiary farm operations in the Kingston area. This study included public consultations.

CSC released the results of the Penitentiary Farms Public Consultation in November 2016. The consultations garnered nearly 6,000 responses and almost 300 participants attended the town hall. The majority of participants in both consultations said they supported bringing back penitentiary farms.

In light of these results, a Farm Advisory Panel was established in May 2017 to provide non-binding recommendations and advice to CSC about potentially reopening the penitentiary farms at Collins Bay and Joyceville Institutions in Kingston, Ontario.

The Farm Advisory Panel is comprised of seven volunteer members who lend their expertise in the areas of business, agriculture and employment opportunities for offenders:

·         Ms. Bridget Doherty, Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent De Paul

·         Ms. Dianne Dowling, Organic Dairy and Beef Farmer

·         Ms. Catherine Latimer, Executive Director of the John Howard Society of Canada

·         Mr. Jeff Peters, Beef Farmer

·         Mr. Alec Ross, Limestone District School Board Trustee for Kingscourt-Rideau and King’s Town District

·         Mr. Tony Straathof, Livestock Farmer

·         Mr. Bruce Vandenberg, Dairy Goat and Sheep Farmer and Owner of Cheese Production Plant

To inform its work, the Farm Advisory Panel has been engaging with community stakeholders and with CORCAN, the Special Operating Agency within CSC that provides offenders with employment and employability skills training while incarcerated in federal penitentiaries.

On February 27, 2018, Budget 2018 announced funding of $4.3 million over five years to support the reopening of the CSC penitentiary farm operations at Joyceville and Collins Bay Institutions in Kingston, Ontario.

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