On Wednesday, October 29, hundreds of attendees gathered in Kingston, Ontario, for the unveiling and dedication of a memorial to fallen Correctional Service Canada (CSC) staff. Held at the CSC National Training Academy and Ontario and Nunavut Regional Headquarters, the memorial is the result of years of planning, fundraising and persistence of volunteers, including a fallen staff member’s daughter and CSC staff.
The memorial features plaques of the 35 fallen CSC staff members who lost their lives in the line of duty. Their faces and names are etched into the plaques in remembrance of their lives and the ultimate sacrifice they made. As CSC Commissioner Anne Kelly said during the event, “This memorial stands as a lasting testament to their courage, commitment, sacrifice, and service. It is a place for reflection, remembrance, and unity.”
In attendance were all of CSC’s Executive Committee, the Regional Deputy Commissioner for Ontario, as well as many CSC staff local managers, families of the fallen CSC staff and members of the community. The dedication event was a somber time to pay tribute to those who had fallen; a moment nearly 20 years in the making from when volunteers tirelessly began advocating and fundraising for this memorial. Thanks to their hard work, this memorial ensures that the 35 fallen CSC staff members will continue to have their names and stories honoured by the community and future generations of Canadians.