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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 2016

KINGSTON PEN TOUR TICKETS GO ON SALE JUNE 6

SLPC opens doors to landmark site just in time for summer NEWS Morrisburg, – The St. Lawrence Parks Commission (SLPC) has announced that tickets to Kingston Penitentiary tours will go on sale at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, June 6, 2016.  General admission tickets will be sold for $25 per person (plus taxes & fees).  Tours will operate Tuesday to Sunday with Tuesday being local only days. First public tours will start on Thursday, June 16th.  Tours will then operate every 20 minutes starting at 9:00 a.m. until the last tour time of 7:40 p.m. for a total of 33 tours per day from June 21 to September 4.  The fall schedule will see tours available 4 days per week from Thursday to Sunday ending October 31.

In an effort to manage inventory and accommodate visitor’s ability to secure tickets, inventory will be released as follows:  50% of ticket inventory for the season will be released on June 6;  July 5 – remaining 50% of July inventory released;  August 2 – remaining 50% of August inventory released;  September 6 – remaining fall inventory released.  Maximum number of tickets per transaction will be limited to 10.

Kingston residents can take advantage of a special local Tuesday rate of $20 per person (plus tax and fees). Kingston area residents will simply enter their postal code to receive the preferred local rate. Proof of ID to ensure residency may be requested upon arrival for the tour.

Tickets will be available online only at www.kingstonpentour.com. All tickets are final sale with no refunds or cancellations. Children 14 years of age and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Tours through Kingston Penitentiary will offer a rare and unique opportunity to go behind the walls of ’s oldest and most notorious maximum security prison. Closed in 2013, the guided tours will provide an up close look at KP as an amazing historical building and a national historic site, which predates Canadian confederation.

The tours will also offer tourists another reason to visit and extend their stay in the beautiful City of Kingston this summer. It is estimated that the tours will drive over $6M in economic benefits to the Kingston area. SLPC has hired over 30 students to act as tour guides supported by retired CSC employees.

Visitors will be able to purchase a K-Pass including the KP Tour experience along with other Kingston sites such as Fort Henry, sunset dinner cruises and more. The K-Pass program is delivered by Kingston & the Islands Boatlines – Tour Trolley.

The Kingston Penitentiary Tours have been made possible through a partnership between the City of Kingston, Correctional Service of Canada and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission who will deliver the tour experience. Net proceeds of the tours will support tourism and destination marketing initiatives, as well as to support youth programs through the United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington.

QUOTES “The St. Lawrence Parks Commission is very excited to be announcing the launch of ticket sales for Kingston Penitentiary Tours. Kingston Pen is a landmark site in Kingston and we can feel the excitement in the community as they anticipate the start of the tours. Our team looks forward to delivering an exceptional and memorable tour experience this summer. This initiative is a great example of community partners working together with a common vision to develop a new experience for residents and that will drive visitors to the city.” - Darren Dalgleish, General Manager & CEO, St. Lawrence Parks Commission

“The launch of tours of Kingston Penitentiary (KP) is great news for Kingston, said Mayor of Bryan Paterson. We know from previous experience these tickets are going to go quickly as people from around the world come to see this important part of history. We look forward to the opening and how this will generate even more interest on the future of KP and the Harbour.” - Bryan Paterson, Mayor of Kingston

“The Kingston Penitentiary Tours is a shining example of how Kingston is steeped in history, yet constantly evolving. The partnerships that made these tours possible speaks to a collaborative tourism community that understands when you inject new ideas into old spaces the possibilities for tourism and economic development are endless. Moreover, these tours will allow Kingstonians and visitors get to explore one of the most iconic and fascinating sites in our community landscape, while also becoming the keepers of the stories hidden behind those walls.” - Violette Hiebert, Director, Tourism Marketing & Development, Tourism Kingston

QUICK FACTS  The St. Lawrence Parks Commission, an agency of the Government of Ontario, operates facilities in 16 municipalities stretching from Kingston to the border, including Village, Fort Henry National Historic Site of Canada (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Crysler Park Marina, Upper Canada Golf Course, Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary and 12 campgrounds and beach day-use picnic areas including the Long Sault and 1000 Islands Parkway.

CONTACT Susan Le Clair, Manager, Customer Service and Corporate Communications, St. Lawrence Parks Commission TELEPHONE: 613-543-3704 extension 2496 ● 613-362-4243 (CELL) EMAIL: [email protected]

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