News Releases

Atlantic Region

News Release

Communiqué

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DORCHESTER, NB, October 13, 2006 - Correctional Service Canada and the Board of Directors of Mountain Top House are happy to announce that work has just started to rebuild this facility, destroyed last July by a fire caused by lightning.

CORCAN has been awarded the contract valued at $205,000. CORCAN is a key rehabilitation program of the Correctional Service of Canada. It is mandated to provide employment training and employability skills to offenders in federal correctional institutions. Under CORCAN's direction, six offenders from the minimum-security Westmorland Institution will be assigned to the reconstruction project over a period of approximately five months.

Mountain Top House is a volunteer sector initiative that has provided, since 2002, affordable accommodation to families visiting inmates at the Dorchester Penitentiary, the Shepody Healing Centre or the Westmorland Institution. The house was built by offenders. Until July 2006, Mountain Top House had offered rooms and meals to 1,551 people, at the modest rate of $20/night.

"Correctional Service Canada is proud to be once again a very active partner in this worthy initiative", said CSC Atlantic Region Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Simon Coakeley.

Family support plays a fundamental role in the successful reintegration of any offender into society. In the words of Mrs. Jeannie Lowerison, chairperson of the Board of Directors of Mountain Top House Ltd, "By helping inmates stay in contact with their families, Mountain Top House will continue helping their reintegration into society as law-abiding citizens".

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For more information, media representatives may contact:

Jeannie Lowerison
506-379-2587