Bluewater Youth Centre

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]

It is located on approximately 300 acres of land along Highway 21. the 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]

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]

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]

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]

• List of youth detention centre incidents in Canada
• List of correctional facilities in Ontario
• List of youth detention center incidents in Ontario