B.C. Penitentiary (1975)
- Thread starter Jersay
- Start date
No, Andy and StephH were never outside together. I forgot StephH's partners name. I guess he was a minor player.
As for AndyB's fellow hostage takers in the Steinhauser time, I believe that they went to Millhaven. The word came back 2 years later, that one of them was attacked by inmates, for some infraction, and castrated. I don't know if it is true, but it was a morale booster to the guards!
Another interesting story, (a non-violent one) was a group of thieves, who robbed a bank safety deposit section in Vancouver (around 1978). They tunneled in from next door over a long weekend. They got in and out in hours, and scored literally millions. (much of it was later unclaimed, which indicates the owners were reluctant to come forward...) It was a perfect crime, they had 3 days to disapear.
Their stupid mistake was leaving by plane. They carried much of their loot with them, including heavy carry-on luggage with gold bullion. (in 1978, the airlines were not very concerned about security, like now, so they thought they could get away with it)
An alert agent got suspicious at the heavy weight, in a smallish bag, and contacted the police.
The police seized the loot, and held the people, but they didn't know where the loot came from! Not until the next tuesday, when the bank opened.
At any rate, after a short trial, (in those days, it only took a couple of days) they arrived at the BCPen. By pre-arranged signal, a group of guards met them at the gate, and said "Carry your luggage, sir?"
I also remember one of the crazier guards (an Englishman, for those that will remember) who wore a pig mask on the guard tower on april fools day.
As for AndyB's fellow hostage takers in the Steinhauser time, I believe that they went to Millhaven. The word came back 2 years later, that one of them was attacked by inmates, for some infraction, and castrated. I don't know if it is true, but it was a morale booster to the guards!
Another interesting story, (a non-violent one) was a group of thieves, who robbed a bank safety deposit section in Vancouver (around 1978). They tunneled in from next door over a long weekend. They got in and out in hours, and scored literally millions. (much of it was later unclaimed, which indicates the owners were reluctant to come forward...) It was a perfect crime, they had 3 days to disapear.
Their stupid mistake was leaving by plane. They carried much of their loot with them, including heavy carry-on luggage with gold bullion. (in 1978, the airlines were not very concerned about security, like now, so they thought they could get away with it)
An alert agent got suspicious at the heavy weight, in a smallish bag, and contacted the police.
The police seized the loot, and held the people, but they didn't know where the loot came from! Not until the next tuesday, when the bank opened.
At any rate, after a short trial, (in those days, it only took a couple of days) they arrived at the BCPen. By pre-arranged signal, a group of guards met them at the gate, and said "Carry your luggage, sir?"
I also remember one of the crazier guards (an Englishman, for those that will remember) who wore a pig mask on the guard tower on april fools day.
I was in Renous max pen with Andy Bruce a couple years ago,he pretty laid back now getting old but noone messes with him, everyone knows his reputation i guess..From what i heard the woman that got shot she an Andy were a couple and they planned it so he could go out an be with her,probally not what people want to hear but just saying what i heard an everyone thinks that back in NB,dont really matter to me either way just wanted to let people know where he was an he still alive an believe it or not really looked up to by people in jail,not sure why but he is...just letting the curious know i guess,i always wondered about his past thats why i googled it an came up with this thread...I know he came into a bunch of money not sure how i think he sued someone or something,anyway just wanted to say he is still alive an might actually be in a medium security now in NS actually,he was suppose to go there but not sure.
I was able to tour BC Pen twice after its closure, first as a guest of criminology class from SFU, Then later after winning some tickets in a contest offered by the Vancouver Sun. on both occasions I had the identical tours with ex or retired guards. I saw most of the wings, including the damaged area of the riot, where Andy Bruce took his hostages and where ended, and then the Dome. Where the prisoners who were to be protected from the general population, our tour guide described them as the rats and pedophiles. (I think Donald Alexander Hay, Abbey Drover's kidnapper was one of the more recent tenants before it's closure) Solitary confinement was the most dramatic place. The guard told us stories for the general population who ran the commissary, would embed razor blade into bars of soap to be sent up to the Dome. Not only to injure them while bathing, but to torture them by having the guards rush in at the final moment and save them after cutting their wrists, to make there lives as miserable as they could, by not allowing them to die.
In the first tour, all of the cells was left as is, the cells had incredible art work, one cell had every name of everyone who had played in the NHL, the next one had every type of gun drawn on its walls and ceilings, almost in 3D form. It was as if you could reach up and grab a gun from its walls. Then there was the most beautiful one covered head to toe in Coastal Native Art, ravens, totem-poles, shields and masks. Most cells had some sort of graffiti on them, including the general population. I believe they must have had access to pencils. You could feel the pain, despair and possibly the insanity of the men through there artwork. We were shown the cell that had a granite wall destroyed, it was blackened by fire or smoke. We were told that playing cards were no longer allowed in prisons after the riot, because the red ink contained some sort of nitrocellulose, and was used with ammonia or bleach to make a crude explosive. We also saw and heard the story of the big steel bar being torn form the was and used as a tool for destruction.
Then on my second visit, it was so disappointed when all the graffiti had been white washed. I then became to tour guide to our small group, describing the art that had been there. I later learned that Clifford Olson had been arrested on the day of my second tour.
In a weird twist of fate, i soon after rented an apartment on Foster ave in Coquitlam, its previous tenant had been Olson.
My current interest in BC Pen. is after my fathers death in 1995, I found a picture of my father on a weight lifting team. it was dated 1952 inside BC Pen.(you could see the razor wire in the background) My father was involved in a robbery of a Safeway store in 1949 and served in the Pen until 1954. I then learned that my father had also been in solitary confinement. My fathers as I knew him was a very tortured soul, growing up I never new this part of his life. upon learning this everything mad so much sense.
See here for a survey of the pen in 1958:
https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/.../UBC_1958_A8 M25 S8.pdf?...
In the first tour, all of the cells was left as is, the cells had incredible art work, one cell had every name of everyone who had played in the NHL, the next one had every type of gun drawn on its walls and ceilings, almost in 3D form. It was as if you could reach up and grab a gun from its walls. Then there was the most beautiful one covered head to toe in Coastal Native Art, ravens, totem-poles, shields and masks. Most cells had some sort of graffiti on them, including the general population. I believe they must have had access to pencils. You could feel the pain, despair and possibly the insanity of the men through there artwork. We were shown the cell that had a granite wall destroyed, it was blackened by fire or smoke. We were told that playing cards were no longer allowed in prisons after the riot, because the red ink contained some sort of nitrocellulose, and was used with ammonia or bleach to make a crude explosive. We also saw and heard the story of the big steel bar being torn form the was and used as a tool for destruction.
Then on my second visit, it was so disappointed when all the graffiti had been white washed. I then became to tour guide to our small group, describing the art that had been there. I later learned that Clifford Olson had been arrested on the day of my second tour.
In a weird twist of fate, i soon after rented an apartment on Foster ave in Coquitlam, its previous tenant had been Olson.
My current interest in BC Pen. is after my fathers death in 1995, I found a picture of my father on a weight lifting team. it was dated 1952 inside BC Pen.(you could see the razor wire in the background) My father was involved in a robbery of a Safeway store in 1949 and served in the Pen until 1954. I then learned that my father had also been in solitary confinement. My fathers as I knew him was a very tortured soul, growing up I never new this part of his life. upon learning this everything mad so much sense.
See here for a survey of the pen in 1958:
https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/.../UBC_1958_A8 M25 S8.pdf?...
Re: Mary Steinhauser
I grew up in Burnaby, and still remember the cattle and horses grazing along side Royal Oak Avenue. At that time it was the Oakalla Prison Farm, and the inmates were actively engaged in farming/raising animals. Oakalla also had a heavy-horse hitch (a team of Clydesdales) that performed at the PNE. The inmates were really proud of those horses.
I grew up in Burnaby, and still remember the cattle and horses grazing along side Royal Oak Avenue. At that time it was the Oakalla Prison Farm, and the inmates were actively engaged in farming/raising animals. Oakalla also had a heavy-horse hitch (a team of Clydesdales) that performed at the PNE. The inmates were really proud of those horses.
My aunt was briefly married to Andy Bruce around 1991... She was the nurse at Dorchester. Yikes!
its amazing how some of the decisions we make in life can make the difference between life and death. :shock:
I was Steve Halls girl from 1981-2006. Last I saw of him ...he was headed to medium security from Sepilles Quebec to possibly Drummondville
Thought occurred to run your uncle's name last night, wondering whether I'd see an obituary. I ate lunch and supper at table with ole Stevie Hall for the better part of three years, during the running of this thread in fact. He often talked about you, hoping your research would become a book.