The letter below is being circulated by a graduate student here at York University (Toronto), whence AHP emanates. It is promoting a petition to save the Weyburn Asylum in Saskat- chewan (Canada), which was once one of the most interesting mental hospitals on the continent. In addition to the experimental treatments recounted below, it was also one of the first places to bring behaviorist token economies to the treatment of the mentally ill. Some think these approaches to treatment horrific and others think them path-breaking, but all, I think, agree that Weyburn was a historically significant institution.
We have consigned so many of these historic buildings to the wrecking ball over the years, that I think it is worth at least being aware of what is being lost each time another one is demolished. (There used to be a website dedicated to historic asylums but, alas, it seems to have been demolished itself.) In any case, if you would like to sign the petition, contact Shumita Roy directly. Her e-mail is at the bottom of the letter.
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Hi all,
I have a small favour to ask of you all. I’m from a small town in Saskatchewan called Weyburn. It’s the home of the Weyburn Mental Hospital, which was the hub of mental health research in the Canada during the mid-1900s, and it’s internationally recognized. The renowned psychiatrist Dr. Humphrey Osmond (the man who coined the term “psychodelic”) practiced there. The famous studies with LSD and schizophrenia were conducted there in the ’60s. Clinical trials for many of the cutting-edge treatments of that time were performed there, including ECT, insulin therapy, and even lobotomies. Any person in the mental health field above age 40 will have heard of this place and may have even worked there at some point.
The hospital was shutdown in 2005 and the city can’t afford to maintain the 500 000 square feet area. There have been propositions from heritage corportations that are willing to fund the restoration, but the city council has turned down all offers. Instead, they want to demolish it and put up condominiums. If this happens, we’d be losing a great Canadian historical landmark, leaving no traces behind.
I don’t usually send out these sorts of e-mails, but our town is really desperate to save this building and I’ve been asked to get support from outside of the province. The historical significance of this buidling is relevant to all of us as it represents the early days of our field. The demolition process is currently underway; the fence has been put up and we’re just waiting for the bulldozer. A few of my fellow townspeople and I will be submitting a petition to stop the demolition and we need as many signatures as we can get.
If you’re willing to sign the petition, please send me a reply and I can send you the letter that we are submitting to the Heritage Designation Office of Saskatchewan. I hope you will all consider the historical importance of this structure and the reasons for saving it. I have attached a few photographs from back in the day to show you what we’re trying to save.
Thanks,
Shumita Roy
M.A. Candidate
Clinical Psychology
York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON
M3J 3K9
shumita@yorku.ca
I wrote a couple of posts on the Weyburn LSD studies a while back. Humphrey Osmond is still considered a pioneer.
http://drvitelli.typepad.com/providentia/2008/02/tripping-out-pa.htm
http://drvitelli.typepad.com/providentia/2008/02/tripping-out–1.html
Shumita has set up an online petition, so you no longer need to contact her directly. The petition can be found at:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/savewmh/petition.html
Hi there,
You’re absolutely right, he’s is pioneer of medicine/psychiatry. If you want to sign the petition, please go to:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/savewmh/petition.html
Please spread the word and thanks for the support!
Shumita
A worthy effort.
I’ve written about it here:
http://mycanadianshield.ca/mindscape/?p=306
Have you contacted Dr. Hoffer? I will forward the link to him in case he hasn’t heard.
Good luck.
I’m not from weyburn have never been to weyburn; but I’ve heard MANY STORIES of the weyburn asylum…stories which of course have been embellished by different tellers… but all the stories centered around “this gorgeous old building…like you’d see in Transylvania or something”…I just think it would be a terrible shame to lose a place with this kind of history
please could i have some help in contacting my great grandmothers records…were records kept? she spent the last of her years in that hospital and died there. would love to know how i can find out more about her and possibly her illness.
hey lynn, i know ur comments from 2009 and i don’t know if you ever got your hands on ur great grandmothers records but… yes they did keep records and yes you can get them, but, i believe, you’d need someone to sign off on it -eg. a parent, sibling, spouse or possibly even a child.. that is, an immediate relative of the patient.
Interesting history. Hope the building is preserved. Any updates on this issue?
Re: lynn’s question. I to had a grandfather who spent tim in weyburn and would like his records as some mental illness is evident in the extended family and would really like to know what his diagnosis is. My Mom and her siblings will not talk about it, as the don’t know much. He was in weyburn in the 40’s, and escaped in early 50’s, fled to the USA and was never seen again, all they recieved was his obituary in 1969???
Would like to know if they have patient files or records.
hey trudy, i know ur comments from 2010 and i don’t know if you ever got your hands on ur great grandmothers records but… yes they did keep records and yes you can get them, but, i believe, you’d need an immediate relative of the patient to sign off on it (a parent/sibling/spouse/child-possibly). good luck, if ur still looking
Trudy and Lynn, I do not know what has happened to Weyburn’s records. I would suggest contacting Weyburn first. If that doesn’t work, try the Saskatchewan Provincial Archives.
Apparently it was demolished. Here is CBC video of the event: http://www.saskurbex.prairiepast.com/main/weyburn/weyburn.mov and here is a page on the stages of the story: http://www.saskurbex.prairiepast.com/main/weyburn/weyburn.htm
thank you for the video and the efforts of those at the University for trying to save Weyburn’s precious place…Interesting was watching the demolition day by day and witnessing the awesome structure of these grand buildings.. She really showed her strength and durability…
The hearts of Weyburn residents will always feel the pain as we gaze at this vast empty space.
Such a lose in Canada…this building could of been the home again of any kind of centre in the health arena..
connie paxman
They should save it so that those who are mentally ill are safe in a place where they feel that society cares about them
they demolished the building in 2009, ben.