PUBLIC WORKS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES CANADA                                                                                                                       

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA ANNOUNCES $3.7M CONTRACT FOR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES FOR OFFENDERS 

KINGSTON, February 10, 2005 – A $3,709,000 competitive contract has been awarded to Excalibur, of Kingston, Ontario, to provide educational services to federal offenders in three provinces.  Awarded on behalf of Correctional Service Canada, this contract will be completed in August 2005 with the option to extend it by up to two additional one-year periods. 

The announcement was made today by the Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Minister responsible for Ontario. The Honourable Peter Milliken, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands welcomed the announcement. 

“Excalibur offers participants in its program the chance to advance or complete their education and by extension, improve their lives,” said Minister Volpe.  “Our communities are richer for encouraging those rejoining society to become capable, responsible citizens.” 

The contractor will provide educational instruction, including basic adult education, Native Studies, and programs aimed at helping offenders earn academic credits and high school diplomas.  Instruction will be provided to 75 percent of approximately 3,309 individuals that make up the offender population at 10 institutions in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. 

Funding for this contract was provided for in the March 2004 Federal Budget. 

For information on contracting opportunities with the Government of Canada, visit www.merx.com, Canada’s official, public sector electronic tendering service.

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For further information, media may contact: 

Renée David                                                     Pierre Téotonio

Press Secretary                                                 Senior Media Relations Advisor

Office of Minister Brison                                   PWGSC

(819) 997-5421                                                  (819) 956-2310

Stephen Heckbert                                              Michelle Hauser

Office of Minister Volpe                                    Office Manager

(613) 954-1064                                                  Office of the Honourable Peter Milliken, M.P.

                                                                        (613) 542-3243 

PWGSC news releases are also available on our Internet site at  www.pwgsc.gc.ca/comm/min/text/mediaroom-e.html.