Toronto’s Don Jail....'Hangman' The Story of Canada’s First Executioner by Julie Burtinshaw

 

Toronto’s Don Jail and the Evolution of Capital Punishment: 

The Story of Canada’s First Executioner

Over the course of two decades (1890-1910), John Radclive, Canada’s first official executioner criss-crossed Canada officiating at over 100 hangings. Initially a staunch advocate of capital punishment, Radclive’s stance on state-sanctioned killing shifted over time. Radclive conducted his first execution, Thomas Kane (1890), and his final two executions, John Boyd (1908) and Pavel Steffoff (1909) at Toronto Don Jail. These three events not only had a profound effect on Radclive, but also forever changed the practice of capital punishment in Canada.

The presenter:

A resident of Vancouver, Julie Burtinshaw’s new novel, "Hangman: The True Story of  Canada’s First Official Executioner," chronicles the life of John Robert Radclive, a man struggling with his conflicting identities as husband, father, waiter, and professional executioner. 

Hangman is Julie's first creative non-fiction book intended for an adult audience and venture into creative non-fiction. She is a recent graduate of SFU's Writers Studio and a member of the Writer's Union of Canada. Julie has also served as a judge for the BC Book Awards, Red Cedar Awards, and Illinois Women's Press Association Communications.