Burwash was the name of a community in Ontario, Canada, located approximately south of Sudbury. History The community was built to house the staff working at the Burwash Industrial Farm (also referred to as the Burwash Correctional Centre), a provincial jail that housed anywhere from 180 to 820 inmates during its history. The prison opened in 1914 and shuttered in 1975, after it was deemed to be too costly to run despite it being a self-sufficient institution. Prior to the construction of Highway 69, Burwash was an isolated location in the Wanapitei River valley, accessible only from a nearby station on the Canadian Northern Railway (today's Canadian National Railway). At its peak, the correctional facility owned and leased an additional of land, and was the fourth-largest employer in the Sudbury area. Following the construction of Highway 69, the facility became less isolated and signs were posted on the highway advising motorists not to pick up hitchhikers in the area due to the possibility of convict escapes. Because the prison's geographic isolation meant that employees could not simply commute from Sudbury or Killarney on a daily basis, a townsite was required for the guards and support staff that worked at the prison farm and the community, built by inmate labour, housed anywhere up to about 1,000 residents. It boasted a public school, which went from kindergarten through grade 10 at one point, a church, a post office, a barber shop, a tailor shop and a shoe repair shop. There was also a grocery store that sold bread made by the inmates, meat from the farm and vegetables produced by the inmates, as well as other grocery items which were brought in from Sudbury. Milk was delivered to the door by horse and wagon and the garbage was picked up by a different horse and wagon. There was a complete working sawmill, which milled the trees cut down by inmates. The village was built from the lumber and all of the provincial parks were provided with picnic tables made there as well. Burwash was considered to be almost self-sufficient, with the inmates working at various trades and receiving an education. One of the few successful escapes from the prison took place on May 17, 1966, when convicted murderer Wayne Ford and two other prisoners escaped into the bush, walking for 16 miles before stealing a car and making it to Toronto. All