REGINA CORRECTIONAL CENTRE OPENS CULTURAL BUILDING

Today Corrections, Public Safety and Policing Minister D.F. (Yogi) Huyghebaert joined with Elders, FSIN Vice Chief Delbert Wapass, File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council Tribal Chair Edmund Bellegarde and other special guests at the grand opening and blessing of the new cultural building at the Regina Correctional Centre.

The cultural building will provide a sacred space for inmates to practice their cultural ceremonies and will be accessible to approximately 300 sentenced inmates.

"It's important for our correctional system to recognize and respect the significance of cultural and spiritual connections to the inmates housed in our correctional centres," Huyghebaert said. "This new facility will help achieve that goal by providing a sacred space for inmates to practice their cultural ceremonies. We believe helping inmates maintain a connection to their communities, and giving them an opportunity to heal in a tradition that's known to them will help reduce the risk of re-offending."

The building consists of two areas: one is open to the earth where a sweat lodge can be constructed in the winter months; and the second is an open space for cultural programming that will be used for pipe ceremonies, talking circles, feasts and workshop style programming.

The building took six months to complete at a cost of $52,550. The design is similar to a successful cultural building constructed near the Paul Dojack Youth Centre. Construction of the cultural building at the Regina Correctional Centre began in the fall of 2009 with the laying of the foundation by Quorex Construction followed by the erection and finishing of the building by Government Services.

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For more information, contact:

Judy Orthner
Corrections, Public Safety and Policing
Regina
Phone: 306-787-5883
Email: judy.orthner@gov.sk.ca