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Don Jail tour redux

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Back in April 2006, Spacing senior editor Shawn Micallef took part in a tour of the Don Jail. This weekend, the jail will be a part of Doors Open, so we thought it would be appropriate to re-post the two blog entries (April 11, 2006 and April 20, 2006) that Shawn has up here on Spacing Toronto. Top photo by Sean Galbraith

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This morning I went on a tour of the Don Jail, or Toronto Gaol. The old part, built in 1860s, closed in 1977. The “new” part is still full of the bad guys for the time being. We couldn’t go into the basement to see the shower area as there are still connecting doors between the old and new sections. Once we were in, we were locked in. Stay tuned, more on this in next week’s Stroll Column in Eye Weekly — but for now, some unskilled pictures I took of a rarely seen Toronto interior that will one day be a quasi-public space in the form of an expanded Bridgepoint hospital.

Also check out Reading Toronto for more/better pictures of the jail on the same tour.

“Father Time”, minding the front door. Very hairy and God-looking.

The old gallows area — outline can be still seen on walls. Witnesses would stand below. Scary. Last public execution in Canada here in 1962.

Iron asps holding up ceiling. The Victorians knew how to use imagery.

Front entrance, from behind. Interesting layers in the building — original building, then more modern (now old) electric wires and such.

Central atrium. Lit from above by huge skylight (now covered). Floggings took place at bottom as other prisoners looked on.

Cell graffiti. Counting down the days (years?). Cells are tiny. 3 feet wide.

Looking south through windows, covered in years of pigeon crap, at that suburban style KFC out on Gerrard. It stinks up the whole area with the KFC deep-fried meat smell. Smells like the mall and diabetes.

Looking north at the half-round Bridgepoint hospital that will eventually be demolished (see it while you can!).


The half-round from outside.

Then I walked back to Cabbagetown via the pedestrian bridge over the Don. The bridge was recently redone a few months, but has already been vandalized by people I wish were being flogged in the Toronto Gaol right now.

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7 comments

  1. The owners of the jail gaol opened it up to photographers a couple of weekends ago. Here are my pics from the inside:
    http://vic.gedris.org/pics/2009-05-09-DonJail/

    I’d like to go back on a proper tour though, and hear the history and stories behind it. It was cool being able to wander around at will taking photos for an hour, but I’d like to learn more.

  2. For anyone who couldn’t make it to Doors Open, there is a terrific new book on the last hangings in Canada called The Last to Die: Ronald Turpin, Arthur Lucas, and the End of Capital Punishment in Canada. The book goes into great detail about the Old Don Jail — the site of the executions — and the last days of Turpin and Lucas before they were hanged there on December 11, 1962.

  3. I heard that you could visit the Don Jail and have a tour of the building. I heard that this was open to the public for a short time. My children would love to visit the site, I can’t find any information to confirm this. Do you know if you can just go to the Jail and take a tour?

  4. Hi Samantha,

    The promoters will be operating tours for the next few months, and more info is at http://www.thedonjail.com In addition to day tours, there will be “The Don By Night” and “Death Row After Dark” packages. They also have a number: (416) 274-4126. Have fun!

  5. I was a guard at the old Don jail from 1957 ’till late 1959 when I joined the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force. I retired in 1990.
    As a guard at The Don I worked in every section.
    I would like to take a tour of the Jail before they make any changes. Is this possible?

    John McKay
    416=439-8282

  6. I bought two tickets for a tour of the Don Jail during the Doors Open in May because the line ups were very long for that day. I have been calling the Tel. # on the tickets to arrange a time to go on the tour. I have been doing this a number of times a day. Each time a recording comes on which says that that Tel. # is no longer accepting calls. I just tried to arrange a time through their website and it says the website is no longer in service.

    Of course, I paid for the tickets in advance!!! How do I reach someone that can sort this out?

    Thank you in advance,

    Helen Buell

  7. SAMANTHA. I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE CHILDREN. INTO A PLACE LIKE THAT. SURE IT WOULD BE A LIFE LONG MEMORY. AND MAY NOT BE GOOD. I,M A SENIOR, AND HAVE GRANDCHILDREN, AND THAT WOULD BE THE LAST PLACE I WOULD TAKE THEM. BUT THE CHOICE IS YOURS. FROM WHAT I HAVE HEARD , I WOULD NOT CARE TO TOUR IT. AND I DON,T FEAR MUCH IN THIS LIFE. IT,S NOT LIKE THE TORONTO ZOO.. IF THAT,S WHAT YOU THINK. ANYWAY , THIS IS ONLY MY THOUGHTS. , YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION. HAVE A GREAT DAY.