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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-05-04, Page 21• a� y A ,Penology Museum? IIIIIIIIIgIIpt111I��lIItIIpIIIIIIIIII�IIIIIlllll,UIIIIIpIIIIfIIIIIIEIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllllallllN.III�IIIIII�,If�IIIIiIIIIr�llu There are times when°owning property can be a real pain in the neck, and Huron County Council is experiencing that strange phenomenon right now. It has theformercHuron County;.Jai I in Goderich listed among' its assets—and it may be a while before • council is agreedupQn the best way to di spore. of the At last ,Thursday's meeting of Huron , , . y` County Council, the property committee chai red by Kenneth F. McMichael of Turnberry Township brought in a recommendation that the jail be converted into a Jmuseumofpenology--inotherwb'r-ds, a collection of authentic artifacts from history which would tell tie story of ,Ontario's penal institutions from the 19thcentury to present day—and onward in time ad infinitum. The recommendation was bolstered by the appearance at council of A.S. Nuttall, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Minister of Correctional Services for "Ontarioand V.N. Styrmo', Senior Musedmsr Adviser, Ontario Department of Public Records and Archives, and Mrs, Pauline Hall, Associate Adviser. • • Speaking to council, Nuttall said his department could not offer money ---only co-operation in the event a museum of penology was established in Huron. He said he could promise an outstanding collection of genuine penal "restraints" such as, old and modern handcuffs, irons, • lashes and an authentic gallows ' complete with hangman's trap. He pledged the department's continuing support to this venture since it would be the only one of its size, scopeand authenticity in the province. In fact, NuttallR said Huron's .museum of penology would be designated the province's 4 officia.l jail museum". • Nuttal I further stated that certain prisoners from Ontario's jails could, be brought to Goderich to restore the jail to its original state. For instance, the modern-day pale green paint' would be'covered with "'drab grey" An interesting feature of the museum, Nuttall concluded, would be .to include -the arts and crafts . made by prisoners jn the province's present jails, thereby rounding out the full.' story of penal punishment in Ontario. .. The second. speaker to address council on the project was y. N. Styrmo,. He pulled no- punches, telling the members that while the former Huron A County Jail was an ideal site at which'to contain a museum on the theme -of penology, it would be an expensive undertaking. When you start a museum, it has no foreseeable • end;:' Styrmo advised the members of council who • perhaps -understood, better than many what he meant because they have seenthe bills for Huron County's Pioneer Museum on North Street in'Goderith. • ' Styrmo said that while "preserving an ,imposing structure.with historical significance" was a noble ambition, alterations would be necessary to make it serviceable as a publ is bui lding and operational costs would be considerable. "The cost could be phenomenal," Styrmo told council.' "You have a 100 -year head start on deterioration. But -with a five-year plan for the development of the museum, you would have a pretty fantastic museum which would leave visitors to 1-urorrCounty saying -that if you are-ev,er up that-vy-ay-to stopoff to see the museum of penology." • • A maximum grant of $1,000 would be available to the' museum each year, Styrmo said. Museums don't make a lot of money, either, Styrmo "reminded council. He said that 116 out of 120 museums in Ontario. record a Toss each yar. The' average income for museums is only about 40,to 60 percent of the gross cost of operation. The only profitable museums in Ontario are .at Niagara Falls—and"are privately owned. "But you would -keep visitors to Huron County longer, they would spend more money community, it would be an educational facility and, just maybe,' it Would deter some potential law breakers of the future," Styrmo concluded. - Reeve Allan Campbell of McKillop, last year's 'chairman of the property committee, warned council; , lie planned to speak plainly. l If we keep the jail asa museum, the rope is around 'our neck and all they have to do is pull the trap," argued Campbell. He stated that Huron County's P ioQeer Museum has a $36,000 annual budget and a $1,000 grant ;plus an intake "of about $12,000 to offset the costs. "That's about $23,000 for the"people of Huron to make up each year," insisted Campbell. "Can the people afford to keep another museum? Good Lord, how much more can we stand?" W'ingham. Reeve Jack Alexander suggested that the building be sOId to the Towneof. Gode.r'ich..tor:$1._ "Let them provide us' with some parking," Alexander recommended, obviously referrin/'to the parking bind in which the county finds itself at the nearby Children's. Aid offices and the assessment offices. • - "I'm disappointed in the' attitude of this counci 1, said Reeve Harold Lobb of Clinton. "I thought this county was supposed to be a tourist area.If it i s going to be a tourist area, you have to have something for the people to see. If we don't want it that way, we'd be better to make her into an industrial complex." "IYIr. Campbell wants to speak plainly," challengedAnson McKinley, deputy -reeve of Stanley Township. "I'd I ike to know how much Mr. Campbel l would want for.the jail if we sold it." "I'.d like to ask Mr. McKinley a question," retal i ated Campbell • How.many more museums can the county stand?" • • • . . "I'd have to -know what the one we have is worth to the County' of Huron before I 'would answer that question,"".retorted McKinley. Harold Robinson, the reeve of Howick, was not in favor of the plan to make the jail into a museum: He talked aboutthe,new health and welfare services the county now has, and added that in his opinion, the county " should. spend money on "preventative medicine rather than on dead stone". The Goderich jai I has two distinct claims tofame-- although both may be considered dubious honors ---b•. many, many folk. The Huron County Jail was' the scene of the very Fast public hanging in Ontario and is, 'also the place where the now farnpus Steven T ruscott, then 14 years of age, spent eight months in a cell waiting for the death sentence.to be carried out, A third interestingjact about the history of the j ai l was brought• forth by county clerk -treasurer -John Berry. He said records show that the first meeting of Huron County Council was held on the third floor of -the jail. • "But they retired to the hotel uptown for the next meeting/' reported Berry. "The records '.do- not indicate why." Thematter of the establ i shmentof aR Huron County Museum of Penology was referred back to committee forfurther study, especially in.:the area of proposed costs 'for the project. The next meeting of Huron.County Council is May 26.: Itis I ikely the whole matter wi I l be re -opened for discussion at that time. Fs 1 25 YEAR 1 8 NA THURSDAY; MAY 4, 1972 THIRD SECTION c IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII — ▪ ▪ • Photos by 1 Ron Shaw F.-. =. 1111111u1IIIl111IUIU1II1111111NII1111u1Ilu11I11111111tlf1IUll * IL