News Release
Special Tours to provide a glimpse behind Kingston Penitentiary walls
KINGSTON, ONT. / September 19, 2013 – The public will be offered a unique opportunity to tour the Kingston Penitentiary before it is decommissioned.
The tours will take place October 2 to October 20, Wednesdays to Sundays inclusive, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They will take approximately 1 ½ hours and will provide a glimpse into life behind the prison’s historic walls. Volunteers from Correctional Services Canada will guide the tour, and community volunteers will be on hand as well.
Proceeds from these tours will go to the local United Way. The tour concludes at the Penitentiary Museum. Participants will get the chance to pick up souvenirs with all proceeds from the gift shop going to the museum.
“While we are saddened by the closing of this historic institution, we very much appreciate the opportunity to provide local residents with public tours of the oldest penitentiary in Canada,” says Bhavana Varma, President & CEO of United Way of KFL&A.
The Kingston Penitentiary officially opened on June 1, 1835 as the “Provincial Penitentiary of the Province of Upper Canada.” Before the announcement of its closure, it was one of the oldest prisons in continuous use in the world. In 1990, Kingston Penitentiary was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.
“The United Way and Kingston Penitentiary have been important to the Kingston Community for generations,” says Lori MacDonald, Campaign Chair of United Way of KFL&A. “These tours present an unprecedented opportunity for Canadians to learn about Kingston Penitentiary and public safety. At the same time, visitors will be supporting those in need in the Kingston area.”
More information about the tour and about Kingston Penitentiary can be found on the United Way website, www.unitedwaykfla.ca/kp-tours.
Tickets for the tours will be available through the United Way website, www.unitedwaykfla.ca/kp-tours beginning Friday, September 20, 2013.
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Media Contacts:
Bhavana Varma, President & CEO, United Way KFL&A
613-542-2674, ext. 2, bvarma@unitedwaykfla.ca
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