New site for memorial honouring EMDC deaths

A makeshift memorial representing inmates who have died at the provincial jail in London, Ont. has been relocated.

Families of those who died in custody at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC) vow to continue shining a light on their loved ones’ deaths.

“We lost our loved ones in vain, and it shouldn’t happen to anybody else,” said Glenn Struthers. He and his wife Judy Struthers are among a number of famlies who regularly demonstrate outside the Exeter Road facility, demanding better safety for inmates and jail staff.

Their son Justin Struthers died at EMDC on Dec. 26, 2017. “I have a bucket list,” said Judy. “Number one can never happen. I want my son back, they can’t do that for me.”

On Tuesday, the couple was found tending to crosses at the new site of the memorial, which was recently relocated to the property of a nearby business on Exeter Road.

The province dismantled the original site on jail property this past summer. It followed a ruling by the Grievance Settlement Board, which handles Ontario public sector complaints.

The union representing correctional employees argued the memorial, in its original location outside the jail, represented an ongoing source of psychological stress for its members.

“There’s memorials all over the place, why not these people,” asked Judy. “And if they’re saying they take them down because it caused them stress? Stress starts in the walls, behind those walls at EMDC.”

The new site is just west of the provincial jail, Judy said the business owner gave them permission to erect the crosses, but she added that they’re still hoping to be able to bring them back to the jail.

“We have a petition in now to put a memorial back up there. And I’m fighting until we do it.”

There have been 19 deaths at EMDC since 2009. The crosses began appearing in 2018.