The jail in the southwestern Ontario community of Rodney, is considered to be the continent's tiniest tank. The local tourist commission there re-opened the jail in 1995 as a tourist attraction after it had been closed for more than 50 years. The jail, which measures 24.3 square metres (about 270 square feet), has only two tiny cells inside it but is billed as the oldest, smallest jail in North America.

The jail was built in 1890, making it the oldest of its size on the continent according to Rodney tourist officials. However, when they re-opened the jail with that billing they were almost immediately challenged by other towns and cities.

Port Dalhousie, near St. Catharines, Ont., claimed its jail was older by about 45 years. Historians in Coboconk, Ont., 150 kilometres northeast of Toronto, also contested Rodney's claim to the title of smallest jail. And finally the people of Tweed, Ont. also believed they had the smallest jail.

But the people in Rodney stuck by their claim to fame because the building is more of a jail than the one in Port Dalhousie. The building there was only one room and needed restoration. Tweed eventually admitted Rodney had them beat because its jail, first opened in 1898, measured 4.9 by 6.1 metres (29.89 square metres or about 320 square feet).