ated ▁on ▁King ▁Street ▁West ▁in ▁Toronto , ▁Ontario , ▁it ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 ▁with ▁the ▁ideal istic ▁promise ▁of ▁a ▁" hom eli ke " ▁atmosphere ▁for ▁its ▁in m ates . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁ten ets ▁of ▁the ▁re format ory ▁was ▁to ▁inst ill ▁femin ine ▁Victor ian ▁virt ues ▁such ▁as ▁ob ed ience ▁and ▁serv ility . ▁ ▁Work , ▁such ▁as ▁cook ing , ▁b aking , ▁and ▁clean ing , ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁major ▁part ▁of ▁prison ▁life . ▁According ▁to ▁one ▁super int endent ▁of ▁the ▁re format ory , ▁" of ▁all ▁w retch ed ▁women ▁the ▁idle ▁are ▁the ▁most ▁w retch ed . ▁We ▁try ▁to ▁impress ▁upon ▁them ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁labour , ▁and ▁we ▁look ▁upon ▁this ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁great ▁means ▁of ▁their ▁re formation ." ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁three ▁institutions ▁made ▁up ▁what ▁was ▁then ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁Mer cer ▁Complex : ▁the ▁Andrew ▁Mer cer ▁Re format ory ▁for ▁Women ▁in ▁Toronto , ▁the ▁Ontario ▁Women ' s ▁Gu id ance ▁Centre , ▁and ▁the ▁Ontario ▁Women ' s ▁Tre at ment ▁Centre , ▁both ▁in ▁Br am pton ▁at ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁Van ier ▁Centre ▁for ▁Women ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁Tre at ment ▁Centre , ▁originally ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁re format ory ▁in ▁Toronto , ▁was ▁set ▁up ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁for ▁the ▁treatment