The Timeline: 1869

Increasing Capacity

In 1869, the prison added two new cell blocks. These cell blocks were much bigger than the first in both the size of the room and the size of the individual cells. These blocks were built by removing the debtor’s apartments located at the back of the original building creating space to add these two new cell blocks. 

The cell block referred to as Hell’s Angels or cell block number one, contains the largest cells out of the original building and was mainly used as the most secure block where we would keep our most dangerous criminals.  It held Henri Seguin in his final hours before he committed suicide. It is referred to as Hells Angels because in the 1960’s these cells held members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang for a few months. 

The second cell block that was put in is now referred to as the “Windowless room”. Due to the many extensions and renovations that have happened over time, the windows in this cell block were unfortunately covered up. Underneath the first three cells of this block are three personal sized dungeons which were found around 1936.[1] They would have been accessed through a trapdoor in the floor and the inmate would have been lowered in. The day room in this block is slightly larger than the day area in the Hell’s angels block but the personal cells are smaller than the ones in the other cell block. 

They have similar architecture with concrete walls and a metal ceiling; the layout of the rooms are also identical due to being added at the same time.[2] 

[1] The Ottawa Citizens. August 13, 1938

[2] “Jail Floorplans”. 1869