Burwash, Ontario

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For other uses of Burwash see Burwash (disambiguation)

Burwash was the name of a village in Ontario, Canada, located approximately 30 miles (48 km) south of Sudbury.^[1]^[2] The village was built to house the staff working at the Burwash Industrial Farm (also referred to as the Burwash Correctional Centre), a provincial facility that housed anywhere from 180 to 820 inmates during its history. The prison opened in 1914 and closed in 1975, and the land was transferred to the Department of National Defence in the mid 1980s.^[3]

Prior to the construction of Highway 69, Burwash was an isolated location, accessible only from a nearby station on the Canadian Northern Railway (today's Canadian National Railway). At its peak, the correctional facility owned 35,000 acres (14,164 ha) and leased an additional 100,000 acres (40,469 ha) of land.^[3] A village was required for the guards and support staff that worked at the prison farm. The village, built by inmate labour, housed anywhere up to about 1000 residents. It boasted a public school, a church, a post office, a barber shop, a tailor shop and a shoe repair shop. There was also a grocery store that sold bread, meat and vegetables produced by the inmates. Milk was also delivered to the door by horse and wagon.

An Ontario Heritage Trust plaque was unveiled at the site 2006-08-06.^[3]