The Toronto Jail (more commonly known by the nickname The Don, or in the media as the Don Jail ) is a provincial jail for remanded offenders in the city of Toronto. It was built between 1862 and 1865 (predating Canadian Confederation by two years) with most of the current jail facilities being built in the 1950s. Originally constructed to house 276 prisoners, its "rated capacity" is now 550, and its average prisoner load is about 620. In addition, as a "short-term" jail, it was not designed with adequate visitor facilities, exercise areas, telephones, lawyer meeting rooms, showers, or even laundry facilities. However, the average stay is 30-90 days, and many prisoners are kept there for months. Many attempts have been made to close it as politicians, international human rights organizations, prisoner advocate groups and even prison guards have decried its overcrowding and inadequate facilities. Guards at the jail have even walked out in protest of these conditions. Before capital punishment was abolished in Canada, the Don was also the site of a number of hangings. The Don Jail is scheduled to be turned into office space in the near future.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
TLTV Ep 49 - The AGO (Art Gallery Of Ontario) - Inside
The Art Gallery Of Ontario (AGO) is one of the most prestigious art galleries in Canada. It was recently re-designed by famed architect Frank Gehry and now includes stunning spaces like the Italian Galleria and the spiral staircases jutting out the back facade and hanging over Walker Court. I recently photographed the new interior spaces for the architect, and this video will show you a sample of my images.
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