Canadian Armed Forces troops arrive at the Kingston penitentiary on April 15, 1971 to help prison oficials after inmates took control of the main cell block. The riot ended on April 18 with two inmates dead and 11 injured. The historic Kingston Penitentiary, the country's most notorious prison, is closing. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Bregg
September 26, 2013 - 7:12 AM
Canada's most notorious prison, Kingston Penitentiary, formally ceases to be a correctional facility on Sept. 30, 2013. Some notable events:
June 1, 1835: Kingston Penitentiary opens as the Provincial Penitentiary of the Province of Upper Canada with six inmates.
1849: The Brown Commission releases a stinging indictment of inhumane treatment of prisoners which leads to the dismissal of warden Henry Smith.
Oct. 17, 1932: The first major riot erupts. The six-day disturbance leads to calls for prison reform.
August 15, 1954: A two-hour riot involving 900 inmates erupts, resulting in extensive damage. The army and RCMP help quell it.
April 14, 1971: A four-day riot breaks out. Six guards are taken hostage and two inmates killed. The army helps restore control.
1971 to 1981: The penitentiary acts as the Regional Reception Centre, receiving and assessing all newly admitted inmates in Ontario and classifying them for transfer to a parent institution.
Feb. 23, 1990: The penitentiary is recognized as a national historic site of Canada.
May 1999: Bank robber Ty Conn stages the first successful escape in more than four decades. He is found dead in Toronto two weeks later after apparently committing suicide during a standoff with police.
April 19, 2012: The government announces plans to close the penitentiary.
Sept. 30: 2013: Kingston Penitentiary formally ceases to be a federal prison.
SOURCE: Kingston Penitentiary; Kingston Penitentiary National Historic Site of Canada
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013