Burwash Industrial Farm

Photo by contributor Kal Biro - Posted September, 2006

Plaque Location

The District of Sudbury
The Township of Burwash
4 km south of Estaire (south of Sudbury), turn right onto a military road, which runs west off of Highway 69. Drive for approximately .25 km, turn left and immediately left again.

Coordinates: N 46 15.795 W 80 48.710

Plaque Text

Burwash Industrial Farm was established in 1914 based on the revolutionary premise that low-risk inmates would benefit from the exercise and skills learned while working outdoors at self-supporting institutions. Burwash Industrial Farm accommodated between 180 and 820 minimum and medium security offenders with sentences of three months to two years less a day. Over time, it grew it to occupy 14,100 ha owned and 40,800 ha leased, housing three permanent camp sites, several temporary ones, and a town of prison staff families with a population of 600 to 1,000 people. Prison inmates provided labour to build the entire community and ran an extensive mixed farm, a tailor shop, and a prosperous logging operation. Burwash Industrial Farm was one of the largest reform institutions in 20th century Ontario. It closed in 1975 because of changes in correctional practices.

Related Ontario plaque
Kingston Penitentiary

Related Toronto plaque
Don Jail 1859-1864

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Posted July 7, 2012
I used to hang out there as a teenager! Ohhh some 27 yrs or so..lol. I lived out in the valley (Hanmer, ON) about an hour away. Back than the town was still standing around 1986. It was a really cool place to explore as a teenager. The big huge built-in bookshelves in the living rooms on either side of the beautiful fireplaces. I was amazed that a whole town was still up and in such good shape and yet the government wasn't cashing in on this??? Well that didn't last long as we are all aware. And you can be certain that I was raised with enough "respect" to NOT vandalize anything. I am so disgusted by the lack of respect from viewers. Do we not all want to still keep coming and showing it off ...maybe even to our own children? I have but it certainly isn't the way I got to experience it. It's such a shame! I remember once going into the large gymnasium that was boarded up but with a busted door on it...I walked in and it was pitch black. I could feel the hardwood floors under my feet buckled up and the warped wood curled like I was standing on the ocean's wave. Then all of a sudden I looked up and saw thousands and thousands of red dots. As I tried to focus in the dark I suddenly realized what I was looking at...1000's of bats!!! Well stupidly, I let out an automatic scream like a teenage girl and they exploded all around us! That made things worse for my over active mind...my long hair! Oh no, they're gonna get caught in my long hair! I bolted out of there faster than my feet could take me! One time we went inside this green house . We still refer to it as the green house . It doesn't exist anymore but when we entered it, there was an overwhelming bad evil-like feeling all around us in there. The funny thing is, there were 4 of us there and we all felt it and we all felt incredibly uneasy, but only when I decided to speak up did my fellow friends let out their breath. They were holding it and all exploded with yeah, I feel it! We dared each other to go down in the basement because that is where I could literally feel the energy from but neither of us was brave or should I say, stupid enough! Whef! I'll never know what happened in that green house but I do know that the energy in that house was thick with evil. It literally made your heart race with anxiety. I also remember going up to the old barn.that was cool too! It was so picturestic! Oh and the old country white church with the beautiful stained glass windows. Even the church pews were still in there! But there was vandalism back than too, just not to the extent it is now. And I remember how incredibly disrespectful to vandalise a church! Even the jail cells still had all their doors and toilets back then. Now everyone of them is smashed beyond recognition! It's just a shame what people have done to what little we have left.

Posted June 19, 2012
This plaque was only put in place because of the persistance of some of the former residents of the village. The Government had completely washed their hands of the site until these citizens, with Bill James as the spearhead, started lobbying for a plaque in recognition of a big piece of Ontario's correctional history.
Norma (Frizell) Beauchemin

Posted April 11, 2012
My grandfather was a guard in Burwash and raised my father and their family there. My father took me there to visit before it was bulldozed and I'm glad he did. It was a revolutionary program for corrections. My paternal family line was the Larocque's and my maternal was Jarbeau (from Field).
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Posted July 31, 2011
I was born in Burwash and have the most happy memories of being raised in a safe place were a community was one happy family , now I drive by on 69 --- our home--- is now bush everything bull dozed away because of political sway at the time because of not being a useful entity as a prison a place where the inmates could get their electicians papers . stationary engineers paper , mechanics papers , learn about animal husbandry , become skilled carpenters , painters , they made clothes for other prisons as well as Burwash etc.now they just languish in cells most of the day.

Posted March 26, 2011
My Dad Charlie Kelly (Ireland) was a guard there in thr early 50s, does anyone remember him,

Posted December 6, 2010
My dad taught school at Burwash,grade 7 and 8. We moved there in 1956 and dad taught til it closed in 75. does anyone know where Elizabeth cook is? Her brother Chris was a friend of Raymond Dore. I would appreciate any leads,
Thear Clark, email@

Posted October 24, 2010
I remember as a young man, I made many trips from Toronto to a small town mid-way between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie. I knew I was nearing the Burwash farm when I started seeing signs that said, "Do NOT pick up pedestrians". The signs, of course, disappeared a LONG time ago.

Posted October 7, 2010
As a history student in the northern Ontario, i find this site fascinating and wish to visit in the near future !

Posted June 18, 2009
My father-in-law grew up in Burwash, Ontario where his father worked as a prison guard. This is where we also spread his ashes after he had passed away. If anyone is ever out that way look for a lone tree that has a well off to the side and that is where he rests. Peaceful and a beautiful scene. I would like to see more pic's of the old days and see if I can find a photo of my father-in-law and his dad at work.

Posted March 31, 2009
Very interesting.I lived in Burwash from 1947 to 1962. I would like to find A record of people who worked In Burwash. Over the years from start up to closeure. My Dad worked there from 1946 to 1967.
William (Bill) Cartledge
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