Souris valley mental health hospital also called the souris valley extended care centre was a public hospital in weyburn, saskatchewan. Author writes about growing up in shadow of mental hospital. Weyburn, saskatchewan, canada history, photos, stories. She was there in the 1960s when the controversial use of lsd to treat patients was being conducted. Mental health concerns all of us, every man, woman, boy and girl, and we all need to consider its importance, including our governments at the provincial and federal levels. The saskatchewan mental hospital at weyburn has played a significant role in the history of psychiatric services, mental health research, and providing care in the community. This is a good book by a local author covering her period of treatment at the weyburn mental hospital and later her training there to become a psychiatric nurse in the same institution. Located just north of and abutting hillcrest cemetery, this cemetery is the final resting place of patients who passed away while in the care of the saskatchewan mental health hospital. Weyburn is the tenthlargest city in saskatchewan, canada. I argue that the public accepted the weyburn mental hospital first as a monument worthy of celebration and then as a necessary, though perhaps regrettable, tool for segregation.
Weyburn mental hospital and the transformation of psychiatric care in canada by erika dyck and alex deighton that could be of interest to hmadness readers. It is on the souris river 110 kilometres 68 mi southeast of the provincial capital of regina and is 70 km 43 mi north from the north dakota border in the united states. History and news of weyburn, saskatchewan, canada add historynews. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The weyburn public library offers a genealogy collection which includes the following. Her new book covers her institutionalization at weyburn mental hospital in saskatchewan the mental after a 1948 breakdown as well as her work there from the mid1950s and through the 1960s. It was always full capacity and when a second wing was added it made room for over 3000 patiends and staff. Harley dickinsons 1984 book the two psychiatries and paul nishidas 1988 masters thesis the establishment of saskatchewans mental hospitals. A total of 60 nurses were employed upon opening, plus an additional 60 attendants.
Notorious canadian mental institution, home to some of the first lsd experiments and origin of the word psychedelic. Go to your local public library or order it from the university of manitoba press. The hospital is this years topic of discussion for archives week. Water had to be hauled and other conveniences were few and far between. Kipling mental health old willowdale lodge building kipling, sk s0g 2s0 tel. Historical association recognizes book on weyburn mental hospital. While the book was written for the local community, dyck noted. Weyburn mental hospital and the transformation of psychiatric care in canada, is now out.
It was operated for one year by the sister of our lady of the cross. It was the second oldest hospital in saskatchewan, and one of the largest mental institutions in canada. The asylum in the interwar years is best understood as a political rather than a medical institution, where politicians and the asylum administration cultivated an. Dyck tells the fascinating story of one such study conducted at the provincial mental hospital in weyburn, saskatchewan in the 1950s.
The city of weyburn now maintains the cemetery and only has records of the names, dates of death and locations of the people interred in the cemetery. A few years later, the addition of a second wing made room for 3,000 patients and staff, but the hospital was nearly always over capacity. The guy next to me in the photo had a comprehensive historical book published about byberry. After a nervous breakdown in 1948, kay finds herself in the weyburn mental hospital, originally known as the saskatchewan hospital. The stories are just amazing so insightful both in terms of mental illness and the stigma, but as well in terms of the lsd and the significance of the weyburn hospital. The hospital received a surge of patients, forcing new buildings to be built just years after opening. Actress, writer shares about corner gas days weyburn. Discover the weyburn mental hospital in weyburn, saskatchewan. A look through the infamous weyburn mental hospital before it was demolished in 2009.
The book is entitled the philadelphia state hospital at byberry. Weyburn mental hospital was established in saskatchewan, and founded in 1921. Weyburn mental hospital soo line historical museum weyburn, saskatchewan. New book managing madness weyburn mental hospital and. Wmh was not only one of the largest facilities of its kind in the. Via boingboing, i found this collection of photos from a recent visitor to the weyburn mental hospital, which i mentioned in an earlier post due to its connection to lsd experiments in the 1950s. Managing madness examines the weyburn mental hospital, the people it housed, struggled to understand, help, or even tried to change, and the evershifting understanding of mental health. The wood frame structure contained eight patient beds. The new buildings pushed the capacity to 3000 patients and staff, but even this was inadequate, and the. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading managing madness. It was incorporated in 1921 with enough space for 900 patients and only 60 nurses and 60 attendents. Kay parley, a former patient of the thenweyburn mental hospital in weyburn, sask. Nimegeers said the book is a coming of age story featuring many of his childhood friends and family. The weyburn mental hospital was known worldwide for their innovative treatments and psychedelic experiments.
The weyburn mental hospital was opened in december 1921 with a capacity of 900 patients. Feb 7, 2015 weyburn, saskatchewan, including the nowdemolished weyburn mental hospital, constructed 1920. Weyburn mental hospital, a look inside before its gone. Weyburnnative matthew nimegeers is in weyburn to release his newest book, squatters and friends of the souris valley, a biography about his childhood growing up in the shadow of the souris valley mental hospital.
Explore the abandoned weyburn mental institution where the word psychedelic was coined as artists, performers, former staff and patients resurrect its stigmatized history. It was noted for its cutting edge treatments and psychiatric drug research at the time. It is thus most appropriate that mental health week is coming up on may 7 across canada, and is being marked in weyburn by the canadian mental health association. Thank you to the under the dome book for such a wealth of information, and we are especially grateful for the archives from the hospital donated to the museum in 2004. Freeman was born and raised in weyburn, and was on hand to read excerpts from the book, inside the mental, by her friend kay parley, who is a former weyburn resident who was both a patient and staff member of the weyburn mental hospital. Weyburns first hospital was built in 1905 as a private institution by dr. I had my final practicum at the weyburn general hospital and i just wanted to thank the amazing nurses for. Letters and stories from the historic weyburn mental hospital will be featured in celebration of archives week in saskatchewan at bushwakker brew pub in regina from 7 to 9 p. Address 900 saskatchewan drive weyburn canada upcoming events.
The weyburn mental hospital opened in 1921 and quickly became one of canadas most notorious psychiatric institutions. Weyburn mental health community health services building 900 saskatchewan drive p. Originally called the saskatchewan hospital when opened in 1921, it was the largest building in the british commonwealth and the most expensive building erected in saskatchewan at that time. Mental hospital at weyburn an archaeology of madness part 1.
Archives from weyburn mental hospital featured for. Saskatchewan mental health hospital cemetery weyburn. University of manitoba press, 2012 first published by johns hopkins university press in 2008. Weyburn mental hospital and the transformation of psychiatric care in canada erika dyck, alexander deighton the saskatchewan mental hospital at weyburn has played a significant role in the history of psychiatric services, mental health research, and providing care in the community. It was the site of lobotomies, electric shock therapy, and some of canadas controversial lsd experiments. The name is reputedly a corruption of the scottish wee burn, referring to a small creek. Weyburn mental hospital opened on december 29th, 1921, the facility had a capacity of 900 patients, 60 nurses and 60 attendants. Humphry osmond, a psychiatrist at the hospital, created the word in 1956 after various experiments using lysergic acid diethylamide lsd. Her book covers her institutionalization at weyburn mental hospital in saskatchewan the mental after a 1948 breakdown as well as her work there from the mid1950s and through the 1960s. Located just north of and abutting hillcrest cemetery, this cemetery was used for the patients who passed away while in the care of the saskatchewan mental hospital. Author and journalist kay parley spent years in a mental institution, first as a patient and then as a psychiatric nurse. History page 2 danvers state hospital danvers state.
By 1873, worcester, taunton, and northampton and the 1866 tewksbury asylum for chronic patients were already housing 0 patients. Local phone books family tree software weyburn from the roots up. Most pics are in black and white, i felt it added to the feel of the video. Dug up archives are helping to piece together a picture of life at the weyburn mental hospital. It has rare archival photos and a terrific history on the asylum. More on the weyburn mental hospital edward willett. The saskatchewan mental hospital at weyburn has played a significant role in the history of psychiatric services, mental health research, and community. Awards winner, the prairies clio, canadian historical association cha 2018 2018. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading. Now i probably deserved to be arrested and given a court appearance for what i did, but they decided to drag me off to the psych ward instead. The immediate crisis which precipitated the building of a mental hospital north of boston was the imminence in the early 1870s of the closing of the city facility at south boston. Welcome to weyburn saskatchewans most haunted building. The event focuses on the hospital from the 1920s to 60s.
Together, these studies tell us that weyburn mental hospital was overcrowded. Gallery thumbnail gallery stories contact us search. Its history provides a window to the changing nature of mental health services over the 20th century. Weyburn mental hospital and the transformation of psychiatric care in canada kindle edition by dyck, erika, deighton, alex, lafave, hugh, elias, john, gerber, gary, dyck, alexander, mills, john, mitchell, tracey. In this innovative history of psychiatric care, erika dyck and alex deighton trace the story of the weyburn mental hospital, from its genesis as a showcase total institution through to its decline and closure as treatment of the mentally ill shifted to communitybased care. Most of these stories have been previously published in magazines dealing with mental health issues and in her selfpublished volume, lady with a lantern. For many years it seemed like the weyburn mental hospital was a secret. Weyburn mental hospital and the transformation of psychiatric care in canada. Later named souris valley extended care centre, the massive institution was demolished roughly five years ago. Historical association recognizes book on weyburn mental.
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