Results tagged “donjail”

       

Despite all the drama Bridgepoint Health (and the Don Jail) went through between Doors Open and now, they broke ground right on schedule just this past Monday and put the wheels in motion to build the new Bridgepoint Hospital with the adjacent old Don Jail being repurposed as a research and administration facility.

Urban Planner is Torontoist's daily guide to what's on in Toronto, published every morning. If you have an event you'd like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you've got any—to events@torontoist.com.

A little over two months ago, the Night at the Big House rave—which was to be held at the Old Don Jail—was cancelled at the eleventh hour. It was supposed to be the first of many functions held at the jail whose proceeds would benefit the Bridgepoint Foundation, but due to licensing issues between Bridgepoint (jail's owner) and the Ontario Realty Corporation (ORC; jail's leaseholder), the rave and all future happenings were put on hold. On Monday, Slingshot—the company hired by Bridgepoint to manage the venue space—bitterly announced no events would be forthcoming. Is anyone else somewhat relieved?

The "Night In The Big House @ THE DON JAIL," scheduled for tonight, was to be the rave of the season. But a note posted to the Facebook event page on Thursday morning called it off: "As of 10am on Thursday, June 04, 2009 the Ontario Realty Corporation, an arm of the provincial government and the agency that controls the Old Don Jail has cancelled our event on Friday, June 5, 2009 and ALL other events for the Old Don Jail in the near future."

At 9 a.m. on Saturday—one full hour before the notorious Don Jail opened its heavy, ominous doors to the public for the first time in thirty years—hundreds of curious visitors were already camped out at the back entrance, chomping at the bit to get inside. Thanks to the gracious folks from Bridgepoint Health, the jail’s new owners and landlords, Torontoist was able to sneak in early to see what has got to be this year’s most riveting Doors Open venue.

For a decade, Doors Open has provided Torontonians with the opportunity to discover and explore some of the unique architectural gems that this city has to offer, at no charge. Since its inception in 2000, it has grown every year, both in attendance and in the number of buildings to visit, and this year's edition—taking place on Saturday (May 23) and Sunday (May 24)—will feature free access to nearly 175 buildings of architectural or historic significance, many of which are usually closed to the public. This year's theme is "Lit City: Toronto Stories, Toronto Settings," the grand finale of a three-month festival that honours literary writers who find inspiration in Toronto and use the city as a setting in their work. Libraries and buildings of literary significance have always been a staple within the official Doors Open program, but this year nearly a quarter of the venues have a prominent literary connection.

Attention drivers intending to head out of the city for a relaxing weekend drive: if a bill before the Ontario legislature is passed, you may have to keep your brand new Model T off country roads on Saturdays and Sundays. According to The Star, "the two days selected were picked on as Saturday is market day, when the country roads are very busy with farmers' conveyances, and Sunday was chosen as the 'day of rest.'" Fear not drivers, as the proposed law does not apply to urban areas and "the bill is so drastic that it is hardly probable it will pass the House."

The Don Jail at Toronto, 1860s. Wikimedia Commons

Some movies are good, some movies are bad, and some movies are so bad they are good. There are even movies that are so bad they’re not good but they at least have some sort of kitsch factor. Cocktail falls into none of these categories. It’s just plain bad. So bad that even if one ranks the Great Bar Movies of the 1980s, it takes a distant second place to Road House. So bad that the tagline was “When he pours, he reigns.” We’re not making this stuff up.

We’ve heard of skeletons in the closet before, but skeletons at Toronto’s Old Don Jail? Recent excavations uncovered three skeletons, likely former prisoners buried in the prison cemetery. Before the 1976 abolition of the death penalty in Canada, seventy executions by hanging took place at the jail. Please remind us not to go trick or treating at the Don Jail this Halloween, as we have an acute case of phasmophobia.

Torontoist sure does after a visit to the Magic Building on Sumach Street, south of Queen. The pediment over the doorway is graced by what may be both the sexiest and creepiest cowboy hat-wearing gargoyle we've ever seen. Or is that a witch's hat? Either way, she's marginally less inviting than Father Time at the old Don Jail and one-of-a-kind in Toronto.

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law.

City staff are hard at work looking for a place to dump our sludge. Fortunately Mayor Miller has said that the city is not considering dumping sludge into the lake. Like, we needed any more gunk in our lake.