Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
The Bluewater Youth Centre was a secure custody and detention facility for young offenders located south of Goderich, Ontario, Canada.[1] Originally built as a mental health institution, it was repurposed as a youth correctional facility before its closure in 2012 due to low utilization.[2] The site has since been abandoned and partially deconstructed for redevelopment.[3]
The facility was originally constructed in 1961 as the Ontario Hospital, a mental health institution.[4] In 1976, it was renamed the Bluewater Centre for the Developmentally Handicapped.[4] The centre closed in the mid-1980s and underwent a $10 million renovation before reopening in 1985 as the Bluewater Youth Centre, a secure custody facility for male young offenders aged 12 to 17.[1] Operated by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, it served as part of Ontario's youth justice system, housing youths convicted under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.[5] The centre could accommodate up to 180 residents but operated at significantly reduced capacity in its later years.[6] It provided educational programs, counseling, and recreational activities as part of rehabilitation efforts for young offenders.[7]
Facility
Located on approximately 300 acres along Highway 21, the Bluewater Youth Centre featured secure residential units, administrative buildings, and outdoor recreational areas.[8] The facility included classrooms for on-site education, vocational training spaces, and medical services to support the needs of detained youth.[9] Security measures involved controlled access, surveillance, and staff oversight to maintain order within the secure environment.[10]
1996 Riot
On February 29, 1996, a disturbance occurred at the Bluewater Youth Centre during a province-wide strike by correctional officers affiliated with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.[11][10] The incident, described as a riot, involved young offenders and led to a fire at the facility.[12] Forty young offenders were involved, and 52 youths were subsequently transferred to adult facilities, including the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre and Niagara Regional Centre.[11] Allegations emerged that unionized guards may have incited the youths to riot in support of the strike.[1] An investigation by the Office of Child and Family Service Advocacy was initiated on March 1, 1996, resulting in a report submitted on March 9 outlining concerns and recommendations.[11] A second advocacy report, filed on May 24, 1996, detailed management issues post-transfer and prompted a police investigation by the London Police Service.[11] Nineteen youths faced charges following the event.[11] In 2010, former managers George Simpson and Rowland Carey were awarded $250,000 each in libel damages after being falsely accused of involvement in post-riot mistreatment of youths.[12]
Allegations of abuse
The Bluewater Youth Centre has been associated with several allegations of abuse and misconduct. A 1998 report on institutional child abuse in Canada listed the facility among those where young offenders experienced physical, sexual, and psychological mistreatment.[13] In 2018, former correctional officer Daniel Nicholson was charged with sexual exploitation related to a 1998 incident involving a youth at the centre.[14][15] Nicholson was arrested and released pending court appearance.[14] The facility was also named in a 2019 class action lawsuit certified against the Ontario government for the unlawful use of solitary confinement (referred to as "youth segregation") on juveniles between 2004 and 2018.[16][17] The suit alleged negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and violations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, affecting youths placed in isolation for over six hours without meaningful contact.[16]Ontario settled the case for $15 million in 2022.[18]
Closure
The Bluewater Youth Centre closed in March 2012 as part of Ontario's efforts to streamline youth justice facilities, having been operating at only 26% capacity.[2][6] The closure resulted in the loss of nearly 200 jobs and prompted rallies by former employees advocating for reopening.[19] The property was sold to the Municipality of Central Huron in 2021 for redevelopment.[20] Deconstruction began in 2023 to make way for a hydrogen production facility, with ongoing site work as of late 2023.[3]
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