Commissioner's update for offenders and their families: July 22, 2024
I wanted to mention some of the interesting opportunities available to offenders to help them build their skills and prepare them to return to their communities.
There is a carving shed at the back of Ikaarvik House, a Community Residential Facility in Ottawa. The majority of the 13 residents at Ikaarvik are Inuit. Carving is an important element of Inuit culture that can allow an individual to connect with or reconnect with their culture.
The residents work in the carving shed year-round and make art out of stone, caribou antlers or other material. At first, they were only able to carve outside when the weather was good. Now, they can work year-round thanks to Indigenous offenders who built them a shed in 2022. They did this through CORCAN’s Work to Give construction program.
The carvers make two carvings for every piece of stone they are given. One, they give to Ikaarvik House as a form of payment for the stone. The other, they can sell. This is a means of income they can rely on when they leave the halfway house to return to their northern community or stay in southern urban centres.
There are other carving programs at Uttaqivik Community Residential Centre and the Rankin Inlet Healing Facility, both in Nunavut. As well there is a carving program at Beaver Creek Institution in Ontario.
I encourage you to participate in the many programs and services that are available to you. Learning new skills, trades, and crafts can be rewarding. They can also create better opportunities for employment upon release. Talk to your case management team to find out more about them.
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso
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