Controversial building in Orillia being demolished

The former Huronia Regional Centre, an institution with a long history of controversy in Orillia, is being demolished.

An institution with a long history of controversy in Orillia is being demolished.

The building is the former Huronia Regional Centre (HRC), a facility operated by the Ontario government that housed people with developmental disabilities from 1885 to when it was shut down in 2009.

The institution has been at the centre of controversy for years with allegations of abuse and a class action lawsuit set up by former residents against the Ontario government. The allegations were not tested in court and the province settled the lawsuit in 2013 with $35 million.

The then Premier Kathleen Wynne made a public apology for the treatment some people experienced while living there.

The team at the Ministry of Infrastructure told CTV News the demolition began in mid-December of last year.

So far, the province has torn down 10 buildings with an additional four taken down to their foundations.

• Plans for former Huronia Regional Centre in Orillia begin to take shape

It said the work will be carried out in phases with the first phase focused on 30 to 35 unoccupied buildings, associated underground tunnels and some limited tree removals.

The first phase is expected to be complete by the end of this year.

“Like many born and raised in Orillia, I wasn’t aware of the harm and the experiences that many of the survivors had until that became public,” said Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac. “And now, you know, certainly acknowledge that and work with them as they move forward with the rest of their lives.”

The property has been used for OPP training for the last nearly two decades.

In place of the facility, the province is planning on building a new police training facility on the grounds and a survivors group hopes to see some of the site used for a memorial or museum as a way to commemorate those who lived there.