Whitby Psychiatric Hospital
Encyclopedia
Whitby Psychiatric Hospital, also known as Ontario Hospital for the Insane, Ontario Hospital, Whitby, or OHW, was a mental health facility located in Whitby, Ontario
. It has been replaced by Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, which operates on the same site.
announced that a new 'asylum' would be built to replace a similar facility in Toronto
, and a 624 acres (2.5 km²) site on Lake Ontario
in Whitby was selected the following year. Whitby was chosen due its relative proximity to Toronto and for cheap power and water provided by local utilities. Most of the buildings of the new Ontario Hospital for the Insane were constructed from 1913 to 1916. Upon completion, the site was taken over by the Government of Canada
to serve as a military convalescent hospital for soldiers wounded in the First World War. The facility was returned to the Ontario government in 1919.
The hospital was considered a model of mental health care for its era. Patients were housed in a cottage setting in an attempt to provide a home-like atmosphere to those undergoing treatment. The lakeside fresh-air environment was also seen as beneficial, as was the attached hospital farm. The farm was intended to make the facility self-sufficient in meat, milk and vegetables. It was operated until 1969.
A nursing school was operated on the site from 1920 to 1972, when the responsibility for nursing training was transferred to Ontario's colleges.
At its peak, the hospital was home to 1,650 patients. However, starting in the 1950s, new advancements in medication, therapy and care enabled a greater degree of community care. In 1968, the name of the facility was changed to the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital. As more patients were discharged into community settings, the number of in-patients dropped from 1,000 to 504 between 1970 and 1977.
Over the years, the presence of the facility also had considerable effect on the Town of Whitby. Its original construction brought many tradespeople to the town, and until the 1960s, it was the largest employer in the municipality.
In 1979, provincial studies indicated that the facility should be rebuilt. Construction on the new hospital began several years later in 1993, and was officially opened as the Whitby Mental Health Centre
in 1996.
Many of the old buildings remained on the site until 2005 and 2006 when most were finally torn down. Their condition had deteriorated over the years and were a popular destination for urban explorers
. Over the years, the area immediately adjacent to the hospital site has been developed and local residents complained about unsightly and unsafe buildings.
Canadian alternative rock
band Billy Talent
shot their music video for Try Honesty
in one of the old buildings in 2003, before they were torn down in 2005-6.
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...
. It has been replaced by Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, which operates on the same site.
History
In 1911, the Government of OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
announced that a new 'asylum' would be built to replace a similar facility in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and a 624 acres (2.5 km²) site on Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
in Whitby was selected the following year. Whitby was chosen due its relative proximity to Toronto and for cheap power and water provided by local utilities. Most of the buildings of the new Ontario Hospital for the Insane were constructed from 1913 to 1916. Upon completion, the site was taken over by the Government of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to serve as a military convalescent hospital for soldiers wounded in the First World War. The facility was returned to the Ontario government in 1919.
The hospital was considered a model of mental health care for its era. Patients were housed in a cottage setting in an attempt to provide a home-like atmosphere to those undergoing treatment. The lakeside fresh-air environment was also seen as beneficial, as was the attached hospital farm. The farm was intended to make the facility self-sufficient in meat, milk and vegetables. It was operated until 1969.
A nursing school was operated on the site from 1920 to 1972, when the responsibility for nursing training was transferred to Ontario's colleges.
At its peak, the hospital was home to 1,650 patients. However, starting in the 1950s, new advancements in medication, therapy and care enabled a greater degree of community care. In 1968, the name of the facility was changed to the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital. As more patients were discharged into community settings, the number of in-patients dropped from 1,000 to 504 between 1970 and 1977.
Over the years, the presence of the facility also had considerable effect on the Town of Whitby. Its original construction brought many tradespeople to the town, and until the 1960s, it was the largest employer in the municipality.
In 1979, provincial studies indicated that the facility should be rebuilt. Construction on the new hospital began several years later in 1993, and was officially opened as the Whitby Mental Health Centre
Whitby Mental Health Centre
Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences is a public hospital providing specialized assessment and treatment services to those with mental illnesses....
in 1996.
Many of the old buildings remained on the site until 2005 and 2006 when most were finally torn down. Their condition had deteriorated over the years and were a popular destination for urban explorers
Urban exploration
Urban exploration is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities. Urban exploration is also commonly referred to as infiltration, although some people consider infiltration to be more closely associated with the exploration of active or...
. Over the years, the area immediately adjacent to the hospital site has been developed and local residents complained about unsightly and unsafe buildings.
Canadian alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Billy Talent
Billy Talent
Billy Talent is a Canadian post-hardcore band from Streetsville, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with Ben Kowalewicz as the lead vocalist, Ian D'Sa on lead guitar, bassist Jon Gallant and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk ....
shot their music video for Try Honesty
Try Honesty
"Try Honesty" is the first single released from the Canadian music group Billy Talent's debut self-titled album, released on September 1, 2003.- Music video :...
in one of the old buildings in 2003, before they were torn down in 2005-6.
External links
- Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
- Military Convalescent Hospital and Ontario Hospital, Whitby at Whitby Public Library and Archives Digital Collection
- Infiltration.org Whitby Psych Page
- Ontario Abandoned Places
- Whitby Psychiatric Photo Gallery, Building by Building
- Whitby Psychiatric Hospital - Photo Gallery