National News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, July 5, 2004 - As the world's top athletes prepare for the 2004 Summer Olympics, federal inmates are getting ready for a different kind of summer games. Almost 30 years ago, inmates at Collins Bay Institution in Kingston, Ontario, started a unique tradition that continues today. It's the Collins Bay Olympiad, a special sports day for developmentally challenged adults and youths living in communities. Since its inception the event has grown in popularity and spread across the country to other federal correctional institutions.

This July, several federal penitentiaries operated by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will again open their doors to both athletes and other special guests for a series of fun-filled sports events and activities. It's a chance for inmates, with the help of CSC staff and local volunteers, to show that they care about the community and this very special segment of the population.

"Through past experience, CSC knows that the Olympiads is an opportunity to focus offenders' attention towards social responsibility," says Lucie McClung, Commissioner of CSC. "It's a way of linking the inside and the outside by making a difference in the lives of citizens. And, most importantly, it's a day where every special athlete may have their moment in the spotlight."

Events will be held in:

• Leclerc Institution (Laval, Quebec) on July 9;
• Collins Bay Institution (Kingston, Ontario) on July 17 and 18; and
• Springhill Institution (Springhill, Nova Scotia) on July 21.

Media are invited to attend the events in any of the three locations.

For further information, please contact the following:

Suzanne Cobb
Correctional Service of Canada,
Ottawa
(613) 943-5048

Normand Daoust -- QUEBEC
Correctional Service of Canada,
Laval
(450) 967-3350

Ed Muise -- ATLANTIC
Correctional Service of Canada,
Moncton
(506) 851-2833

Diane Russon -- ONTARIO
Correctional Service of Canada,
Kingston
(613) 545-8210