 The HI-Ottawa Jail Hostel opened in 1973 – a mere year after the Carleton County Gaol had closed its doors to prisoners. And though its official status was that of a hostel, its historic significance and potential to also serve as an attraction, museum or heritage centre – bolstered by the building's official designation under the Ontario Heritage Act by the city of Ottawa in 1978 – was not lost on its new keepers.
Fast-forward 34 years…(a mere hiccup in the total age of the building):
The Carleton County Gaol Heritage Centre was (finally!) opened in 2007 with the primary aim to educate the hostel’s public about early crime and punishment in the area, to reveal the gaol’s rich and sordid history, and to make known its historical and architectural significance. It accomplishes this through the display of photo and information panels, artefacts, and hands-on activities located throughout the building.
A few highlights:
- A definition of “gaol” and how to pronounce it
- The “Table of Drops” to calculate noose rope lengths
- Actual handcuffs and restraints used in the gaol
- The official gaol registry dating from 1889-1898
- A letter written by a former inmate on toilet paper
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VISITING:
Many of the Carleton County Gaol Heritage Centre’s components are located throughout the building, and are readily available to hostellers throughout their sentence.
The locked corridor of the hostel’s un-renovated 8th floor (containing the bulk of photo and information panels, all artefacts, and death row) is open daily to hostel guests from 9-11am.
Admission is free of charge.
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