Ontario mayor warns against turning notorious Canadian prison into homes

The politician of an Ontario metropolis location to 1 of Canada’s astir notorious prisons says converting it 1 time into housing could devour astatine its economy.

Bryan Paterson told Global News that portion Kingston does person lodging needs, transforming the tract of Kingston Penitentiary – which Ottawa says tin beryllium suitable for lodging – would beryllium a nonaccomplishment for the city’s finances.

“This peculiar spot has immense benefits for tourism and film, and we privation to marque definite that isn’t impacted,” helium said.

“We’re ever blessed to person much discussions astir opportunities for housing, but again, determination are tons of different national authorities properties that we deliberation would beryllium large candidates for.”

Paterson’s comments travel aft the national authorities publicly revealed Thursday that Kingston Pen – a erstwhile maximum-security situation that has held infamous criminals similar Paul Bernardo – has the imaginable to go housing.

Ottawa added the site, which operated arsenic a jailhouse for 178 years, to the Canada Public Land Bank – a national inaugural that aims to crook surplus and underused national nationalist lands into affordable housing.

Located connected the city’s waterfront, Kingston Pen unopen down successful 2013 and was converted into a museum, offering members of the nationalist guided tours passim the institution.

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Paterson said helium doesn’t cognize however Ottawa’s process unfolded, but added it would beryllium “complicated and difficult” to retrofit the situation into lodging portion keeping tourism and movie operations running.

Mark Gerretsen, Liberal MP for Kingston and the Islands, said Ottawa’s listing of the jailhouse is conscionable the archetypal measurement of what would beryllium a agelong process.

“It needs to beryllium turned implicit from Corrections to Canada Lands, and past we tin commencement to truly propulsion the opportunities to make a semipermanent lease with the city,” helium said.

“I don’t deliberation it’s a fait accompli that this volition beryllium torn down oregon thing similar that. On the contrary, this is simply a bully accidental present for the metropolis to enactment guardant a bully lawsuit to get a semipermanent lease for the property.”

Megan Knott, CEO of Tourism Kingston, echoed that sentiment, saying the prison’s taste and economical worth can’t beryllium overlooked.

“Ever since Kingston Penitentiary was decommissioned arsenic its mean use, the assemblage has rallied astir to beryllium capable to utilize it arsenic an asset,” Knott said.

“Certainly, tourism astir apt played the biggest relation successful being capable to reimagine what that tract looks like.”

— with files from Jesse Reynolds