Fred Payton
Prince Albert Historical Society
A recent discussion on a local social network site was indicative of the tremendous interest in Prince Albert’s history of correctional institutions. Much of the information shared by the contributors was accurate, but after years of research, I thought that I might make my contribution to the discussion.
Construction of Prince Albert’s first correctional facility began in 1886. The facility was completed in 1887 but, aside from its use as a court house and the sheriff’s quarters, it remained empty until the late 1890s. The “wardens” of the gaol during this time are believed to have been Mr. and Mrs. John McTaggart. Mrs. McTaggart was the mother of Hugh John Montgomery’s second wife (Mary Anne). Mary Anne was Maud’s step-mother. We do know that Hugh John Montgomery was the warden of the gaol at the time of his death in January, 1900.
The Territorial Gaol was situated on the crest of Prince Albert’s hill, near the north end of Victoria Square, in what is now the parking lot for the King’s Bench Court. It was built of brick, two stories high and had a mansard roof. Information varied, but it contained between thirty-nine and forty-eight cells, four of which were used as dark cells (what we might term segregation or dissociation cells). These cells were vey small, about seven feet long, four feet wide, and seven feet high. There were also wards for the insane, and a chapel.
As well as the warden, the staff consisted of a sergeant, a matron, and five turnkeys. Upon his death, Montgomery was succeeded by F.W, Kerr, who had previously held the position of chief keeper.
At the time, in what is now the Province of Saskatchewan, the Territorial Gaol was the only facility built to accommodate both women and men. When the institution became overcrowded, the women were housed in a dormitory-type setting.
As the goal was not connected to the municipal water system, toilet pails were utilised. Drinking water was distributed from a large jug with a long spout. Each prisoner had a tin cup into which water would be poured, the spout extended between the bars. The morning and evening meal consisted of porridge and molasses, with dry bread, coffee or tea. Milk and sugar were not served.
A goal farm existed, consisting of up to fifty acres. It was located in what later became Bryant Park, now known as Kinsmen Park. At least half of the farm was used for growing oats to feed the gaol’s horses, while vegetables such as potatoes, and corn were grown to feed the inmates. Photographs exist of large fields of cabbages in the southern western yard of the goal building.
There was accommodation for the warden and his family in the east end of the gaol. Both Hugh John Montgomery and F.W. Kerr had an address of 18th Street East. Whether or not Owen Edward Hughes lived in that accommodation when he was the Sheriff of Saskatchewan is unknown. It is possible, as Montgomery took over as warden in 1899, and Hughes’ term as sheriff ended in that same year.
Kerr remained as the warden of the goal until April, 1911, at which time he was succeeded by G.F. McGregor. In 1922, the year before the “new” jail on 28th Street West was opened, Peter Forsyth assumed the responsibility of the position.
The descriptors of the Territorial Gaol do not mention the location of the gallows where persons condemned to hang would be put to death. Perhaps this is because there were no death sentences carried out while it was a federal facility. In fact, my research done through the National Archives of Canada indicates that there were no inmate deaths in the institution, either by hanging or otherwise.
In Canada, the confinement of individuals sentenced to two years less a day is a provincial responsibility, while those sentenced to two years or more is a federal responsibility. When capital punishment existed as a judicial punishment in Canada, the responsibility for carrying out that sentence was borne by the provincial or territorial governments.
Prince Albert’s Territorial Gaol was transferred from federal to provincial control on July 1st, 1906, within a year of Saskatchewan becoming a province. It was while the facility was a provincial institution that thirteen hangings occurred at the facility. Another five occurred at the institution on 28th Street West.
On March 10th, 1910, John Mescei was hanged for the murder at Quill Lake of George Thoburn, his hired man. Other hangings of interest at the former Territorial Gaol included the triple hanging (October 17th, 1919) of Joseph Gervais, Victor Carmel, and Jean-Baptiste St. Germaine for the murder of James McKay at Steep Creek, and John Wilson (April 23rd, 1920) for the murder of his wife, whose body was found near Blaine Lake. The first hanging of an individual convicted of a murder committed in Prince Albert was that of Hoo Sam on March 26th, 1912.
Because there was no facility within the institution for hangings, each of the fourteen hangings occurred outside of the facility, slightly to the south and to the west of the building. This led to a reputed telephone call between the Warden and the Principal of Central School in which the Principal requested that the time of the hangings be changed so that the hanging bodies would not be visible to the school’s students when they were out for recess.
The former Territorial Gaol became too small and lacking in modern conveniences in the early 1920s, as well as perceived to be in an inappropriate location (in the “heart of the city”). As a result, the Province decided to build a new, modern, and larger facility. Construction occurred on land immediately south of the present Kinsmen Park, on the south side of 28th Street West between Central and 1st Avenue West.
Poole Construction entered the low bid of $342,880 for the construction of the “new” jail (officials now using the Americanised spelling rather than the British). I suspect that it was not just the inmates but the staff as well who were pleased to hear that Regina Plumbing and Heating were awarded the contract for heat and plumbing services. Their bid was $69,500. The building was constructed as a fire-proof facility, and faced with Saskatchewan brick from the Claybank and local brickyards, trimmed with Bedford rock.
The administration block of the “new” jail, which faced north, was front and centre, with offices for the governor, photographer, and matron. Cellblocks were located at either side. As the institution would once again hold female inmates, on the west side there was a brick-walled exercise yard for the woman’s use. Another yard was constructed for the men adjacent to the east wing. There were quarters for the guards, as well as prison hospitals, one for the men and one for the women, and a chapel.
The west cell block contained fifty-three cells for men and thirty-eight for women, with detention and isolation cells. There was also a barber shop and bathrooms, with the men’s containing six tubs and the women’s containing three.
Observation rotundas were located at the intersection of the administration block and the cell blocks on each level
The institution, into which the inmates and equipment from the Territorial Gaol were transferred quietly between March 3rd and 10th, 1923, was described as one of the most modern of its kind in the nation.
The old Territorial Gaol stood empty for a further two years before its was demolished, and its site remained without an open building until 1927 when the King’s Bench Courthouse was finished and opened.
The twenty-three acres of farm land which had been used during the days of the Territorial Gaol was eventually turned over to the City of Prince Albert by the Provincial government and became Bryant Park. The Province purchased land south and east of the city which was used for farming purposes.
Although not mentioned in the description of the “new” jail, there was an interior room provided for use when an inmate had to be hanged. Although capital punishment (or hanging) was still possible until 1999, its use for murder was abolished in 1976. The last Canadian hanging occurred in1963. The last hanging in Prince Albert occurred on August 10th, 1934. In total, five individuals were hanged in the “new” jail. These gallows were dismantled in 1962.
Little is known about the location of the interment of most of those hanged in Prince Albert. We know that John Wilson’s family claimed his body and had him interred in what is now known as the South Hill cemetery. The three men hanged as a result of the Steep Creek murder were interred in unmarked graves just beyond the consecrated land of the Roman Catholic cemetery. It is possible that one or more of the others were interred in consecrated ground, but the majority, unclaimed by family or friends, were likely buried in Crown land. Although no proof exists, it is theorised that the Crown land used could have been what is now known as Kinsmen Park. It was the nearest Crown land to where the majority of the hangings occurred. (Prince Albert Collegiate Institute having been built in 1910, it would definitely not have been there.) Other possibilities after 1930 might have been the farm land to the east or south of Prince Albert.
As the former Territorial Gaol became outdated and was replaced by the newer, more modern facility, it too became outdates. Its replacement was definitely made necessary in the early 1980s after a riot in June, 1977 did considerable damage to the “new” jail. The current Correctional Centre was opened in 1981. Pine Grove Correctional Centre was opened in September, 1967 as the first facility constructed specifically for women. As noted above, women shared the Territorial Gaol and the “new” jail with the men, although due to overcrowding in the men’s cell blocks, during a period from 1930 to 1941 the women were housed in a renovated high school in Battleford. In 1941, they were returned to the Prince Albert jail.
For more information on the Correctional Centres in Prince Albert, why not stop by the Police and Corrections Museum at 3700 – 2nd Avenue West. It is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. between now and the end of August. After September 1st, you can make an appointment for a tour by calling 306-764-2992.
fgpayton@sasktel.net
