Stony Mountain Institution
Encyclopedia
50.082°N 97.225°W
Stony Mountain Institution is a federal
medium-security facility located in Stony Mountain, Manitoba
, about 11 mi (17.7 km) from Winnipeg
. It opened in 1877 and can accommodate up to 570 inmates.
In the years immediately following Confederation
, Kingston Penitentiary
was joined by several new institutions: St Vincent de Paul in 1873, British Columbia Penitentiary in 1878, and Dorchester in 1880. The establishment of the "Manitoba Penitentiary" (as it was known until it was renamed Stony Mountain Institution in 1972) was authorized by the young Canadian federal government in 1872. Lands were expropriated at Stony Mountain, some eleven miles (18 km) from Lower Fort Garry
, where Sir Garnet Wolseley
’s expeditionary force had been stationed as part of the effort to quell the first Riel (the "Red River") Rebellion
of 1869-70. One of the members of that force, Samuel Lawrence Bedson
(1842-91), did not return East following the Rebellion, but went on to become the first Warden of the new Penitentiary.
The site’s isolated location and lack of available building materials proved a challenge to the construction process. Stone for the windowsills and the corners was quarried at Lower Fort Garry, dressed and hauled overland during the winter. Timber was freighted from Ontario. A brick-making machine from St. Paul, Minnesota was employed in the manufacture of over 400,000 bricks from local clay. Despite efforts to avoid wastage due to difficulties in transporting materials, by the time the Penitentiary was completed in February, 1877, the final cost was $125,000—some $9000 over budget. Some 60 tradesmen worked during the summer months and 25 stonemasons during the winters.
In August 1877, with Lord
and Lady Dufferin presiding, the Penitentiary was officially opened. 14 inmates, including a female "lunatic" comprised the original prison population transferred from the gaol at Lower Fort Garry.
The original prison building was soon joined by a number of other buildings, as a period of rapid growth commenced. Structures such as stables, schoolhouse, staff quarters, hospital, chapels, forge and slaughterhouse were built. By 1885, some 44 cells were in use. Growth tended to be decentralized and the buildings came to occupy a large area.
The original heating system, based on an English model, proved inadequate and the winter of 1877/78 proved very harsh for both staff and inmates. This situation was alleviated by the installation of a steam boiler in the summer of 1878. Due to the severity of the Manitoba winter, heating costs were $3000—considerably more than the identical British Columbia Penitentiary. To cope with this continuing expense, Warden Bedson negotiated with the CPR for a favourable shipping rate for coal.
Bedson proved to be an innovative and progressive warden. A system was devised whereby prisoners could communicate their needs to guards without breaking the rule of silence. A four-foot white wand painted black on one end (for ordinary needs) and red on the other (for emergency use) was utilized. He also emerged as a noted prison reformer. He placed high value on religious and educational programs, and spiritual and educational needs were emphasized from the very beginning. Bedson also instituted an early system of inmate wages and parole.
He also played a key role as a conservationist. An original investment of 13 head of buffalo grew substantially over the years and after a number of transfers of ownership, the herd was eventually relocated to Wood Buffalo National Reserve
in Alberta.
Early growth was ambitious, if dispersed. By 1912, perimeter wall construction had begun, and the numerous buildings were completely enclosed by 1922. The entrance to the institution was via the "South Gate" – a handsome two-storey structure that controlled vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The need for additional cell space led to the construction of wings off the main cell-block throughout the 1920s.
The building of a new facility to replace the original Administration building commenced in 1933. Due in part to the Depression and the Second World War, this building was left in a partially completed state for many years. The 1877 Administration Building and the South Gate, the last survivors of the original prison structures, were demolished in the late 1960s, and Stony Mountain’s origins are not readily apparent in the modern facility of today.
Inmates are assisted with a focus on improving living skills and avoiding substance abuse. Inmates can acquire work experience and useful training in various trades within the Institution, including maintenance shops, food services, etc.
. "We are acting to ensure that the criminals pay their debt – their full debt – to society."
This new wing will become the only maximum-security unit in Manitoba. About 40 new positions will be created with the addition of the maximum-security wing. The Stony Mountain project is expected to be completed by the year 2014.
Stony Mountain Institution is a federal
Correctional Service of Canada
The Correctional Service of Canada , or CSC, is the Canadian federal government agency responsible for the incarceration and rehabilitation of convicted criminal offenders sentenced to two years or more...
medium-security facility located in Stony Mountain, Manitoba
Stony Mountain, Manitoba
Stony Mountain is a small community in Manitoba, Canada located approximately north of Winnipeg on Provincial Highway 7. The town is located in the Rural Municipality of Rockwood and is the location of Stony Mountain Ski Area...
, about 11 mi (17.7 km) from Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. It opened in 1877 and can accommodate up to 570 inmates.
History
(This section is primarily based on The Early Years of Stony Mountain Institution, by Marc Shaw, as found in the Newsletter of Canada's Penitentiary Museum, Summer of 2004.)In the years immediately following Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
, Kingston Penitentiary
Kingston Penitentiary
Kingston Penitentiary is a maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario between King Street West and Lake Ontario....
was joined by several new institutions: St Vincent de Paul in 1873, British Columbia Penitentiary in 1878, and Dorchester in 1880. The establishment of the "Manitoba Penitentiary" (as it was known until it was renamed Stony Mountain Institution in 1972) was authorized by the young Canadian federal government in 1872. Lands were expropriated at Stony Mountain, some eleven miles (18 km) from Lower Fort Garry
Lower Fort Garry
Lower Fort Garry was built in 1830 by the Hudson's Bay Company on the western bank of the Red River, north of the original Fort Garry, which is now in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Treaty 1 was signed there....
, where Sir Garnet Wolseley
Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley
Field Marshal Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, KP, GCB, OM, GCMG, VD, PC was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army. He served in Burma, the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, China, Canada, and widely throughout Africa—including his Ashanti campaign and the Nile Expedition...
’s expeditionary force had been stationed as part of the effort to quell the first Riel (the "Red River") Rebellion
Red River Rebellion
The Red River Rebellion or Red River Resistance was the sequence of events related to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by the Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Settlement, in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba.The Rebellion was the first crisis...
of 1869-70. One of the members of that force, Samuel Lawrence Bedson
Samuel Lawrence Bedson
Samuel Lawrence Bedson was a British-born military man who gained notability in Canada.Bedson came to Lower Canada with the 16th Regiment of Foot in 1861 as a private and stayed on, joining the 2nd Quebec Rifles in 1870...
(1842-91), did not return East following the Rebellion, but went on to become the first Warden of the new Penitentiary.
The site’s isolated location and lack of available building materials proved a challenge to the construction process. Stone for the windowsills and the corners was quarried at Lower Fort Garry, dressed and hauled overland during the winter. Timber was freighted from Ontario. A brick-making machine from St. Paul, Minnesota was employed in the manufacture of over 400,000 bricks from local clay. Despite efforts to avoid wastage due to difficulties in transporting materials, by the time the Penitentiary was completed in February, 1877, the final cost was $125,000—some $9000 over budget. Some 60 tradesmen worked during the summer months and 25 stonemasons during the winters.
In August 1877, with Lord
Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava
Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, KP, GCB, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, PC was a British public servant and prominent member of Victorian society...
and Lady Dufferin presiding, the Penitentiary was officially opened. 14 inmates, including a female "lunatic" comprised the original prison population transferred from the gaol at Lower Fort Garry.
The original prison building was soon joined by a number of other buildings, as a period of rapid growth commenced. Structures such as stables, schoolhouse, staff quarters, hospital, chapels, forge and slaughterhouse were built. By 1885, some 44 cells were in use. Growth tended to be decentralized and the buildings came to occupy a large area.
The original heating system, based on an English model, proved inadequate and the winter of 1877/78 proved very harsh for both staff and inmates. This situation was alleviated by the installation of a steam boiler in the summer of 1878. Due to the severity of the Manitoba winter, heating costs were $3000—considerably more than the identical British Columbia Penitentiary. To cope with this continuing expense, Warden Bedson negotiated with the CPR for a favourable shipping rate for coal.
Bedson proved to be an innovative and progressive warden. A system was devised whereby prisoners could communicate their needs to guards without breaking the rule of silence. A four-foot white wand painted black on one end (for ordinary needs) and red on the other (for emergency use) was utilized. He also emerged as a noted prison reformer. He placed high value on religious and educational programs, and spiritual and educational needs were emphasized from the very beginning. Bedson also instituted an early system of inmate wages and parole.
He also played a key role as a conservationist. An original investment of 13 head of buffalo grew substantially over the years and after a number of transfers of ownership, the herd was eventually relocated to Wood Buffalo National Reserve
Wood Buffalo National Park
Wood Buffalo National Park, located in northeastern Alberta and southern Northwest Territories, is the largest national park in Canada at . The park was established in 1922 to protect the world's largest herd of free roaming Wood Bison, currently estimated at more than 5,000...
in Alberta.
Early growth was ambitious, if dispersed. By 1912, perimeter wall construction had begun, and the numerous buildings were completely enclosed by 1922. The entrance to the institution was via the "South Gate" – a handsome two-storey structure that controlled vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The need for additional cell space led to the construction of wings off the main cell-block throughout the 1920s.
The building of a new facility to replace the original Administration building commenced in 1933. Due in part to the Depression and the Second World War, this building was left in a partially completed state for many years. The 1877 Administration Building and the South Gate, the last survivors of the original prison structures, were demolished in the late 1960s, and Stony Mountain’s origins are not readily apparent in the modern facility of today.
Famous inmates
- After the 1885 North-West RebellionNorth-West RebellionThe North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
, Chiefs Big BearBig BearBig Bear or Mistahi-maskwa was a Cree leader notable for his involvement in the North-West Rebellion and his subsequent imprisonment.-Early life and leadership:...
, One ArrowOne Arrow First NationOne Arrow First Nation is a Canadian Cree First Nation. Its reserve is located just south of Batoche, Saskatchewan near the South Saskatchewan River about 100 km Northeast of Saskatoon. The One Arrow First Nation is in the aspen parkland biome. It is bordered by the Rural Municipalities of St....
and Poundmaker were all convicted of treason and were imprisoned in the Stony Mountain Penitentiary. Here their health deteriorated rapidly and upon being released due to poor health, died shortly thereafter.
- Kenneth LeishmanKen LeishmanKenneth Leishman , also known as the Flying Bandit or the Gentleman Bandit was a Canadian thief responsible for multiple robberies between 1957 and 1966...
(aka "The Flying Bandit") plead guilty in 1958 to two bank robberies, and was given a 12-year sentence to be served at Stony Mountain Penitentiary in Manitoba, near his family in Winnipeg. He was released on parole towards the end of 1961, after just 3.5 years, and was described by Stony’s warden as a ‘model prisoner’.
- Thomas Sophonow was wrongfully convicted in 1981 of the murder of Barbara Stoppel; he was acquitted on appeal in 1985, and conclusively exonerated by DNA evidence in 2000. On the 18th of April, 1983, he was transferred from the Winnipeg Remand Centre to Stony Mountain Penitentiary. He remained in that facility until July 25th of 1983. For that entire period, he was kept in segregation. This meant that he was in a cell that measured 5.5 feet (1.7 m) by 10 feet (3 m) for 23 hours a day, every day. No doubt this was done for his own protection. Yet the conditions were harsh and for some 97 days he lived a most difficult life. Indeed, during the one hour when he was let out of his cell for exercise and a shower there was no allotted place of exercise. He obtained his exercise outside in a narrow courtyard alone, apart from prison guards.
- James DriskellJames DriskellJames Patrick Driskell is a Canadian who was wrongfully convicted for the murder of Perry Harder in 1991. Driskell has 7 children and 14 grandchildren.-The Crime and Prosecution:...
was wrongfully convicted for the murder of Perry Harder in 1991. He served a total of 12 years in Stony Mountain Institution convicted of first-degree murder. In 2005, the Manitoba Dept. of Justice entered a stay of proceedings and called for a public inquiry, which ended Driskell's conviction without exonerating him. The results of that inquiry were released to the public on Feb. 15, 2007.
Current status
There are five operational units within the facility, offering various levels of supervision, including a healing unit for Aboriginal inmates (Ni-Miikana).Inmates are assisted with a focus on improving living skills and avoiding substance abuse. Inmates can acquire work experience and useful training in various trades within the Institution, including maintenance shops, food services, etc.
Characteristics
- Male offenders
- Security level: medium
- Date opened: 1877
- Number of inmates: 570
- Average length of sentences:
-
- Less than 40 months: 44 per cent of inmates
- More than 40 months: 48 per cent of inmates
- Life sentence: 7 per cent of inmates
- Number of employees: 396
Seizure of contraband
In the summer of 2006, four separate major seizures of contraband (illegal drugs) were made, including the single largest seizure in Stony Mountain Institution's history.Expansion to include maximum-security wing
It was announced by the Federal government, in November 2010, that Stony Mountain will be undergoing an expansion, which will add a maximum-security wing to the institution, with 96 new beds. The total cost of the building project is expected to be $45 million. In justifying this spending, the Federal Minister of Public Safety stated, "In the previous system, a violent criminal sentenced to nine years in prison could potentially be on our streets in as little as three years if he or she spent two years awaiting trial. This possibility is not acceptable to Canadians," said Minister ToewsVic Toews
Victor "Vic" Toews, PC QC MP is a Canadian politician. He has represented Provencher in the Canadian House of Commons since 2000, and currently serves in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of Public Safety. He previously served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from...
. "We are acting to ensure that the criminals pay their debt – their full debt – to society."
This new wing will become the only maximum-security unit in Manitoba. About 40 new positions will be created with the addition of the maximum-security wing. The Stony Mountain project is expected to be completed by the year 2014.
External links
- Gangs staged bloody battle at Stony Mountain Penitentiary. Retrieved 14 Dec 2010.
- Penitentiary in lockdown after stabbings. Retrieved 8 March 2011.