Sunday, February 23, 2014

Centre Lawn 2014

At the present time, as far as I know the building is empty; possibly the movie industry is using it occasionally.
A Condition Assessment report done in 2013 was released to the public, after repeated requests to the bureaucrats, who reluctantly released them, but not at all the complete set, in their preparation for "public consultation" about their scheme of re purposing Riverview to make a dollar. Re purposing is probably in reality selling portions of the property for cheap to party friends, typical behaviour patterns emerging.

Renewing Riverview, not sure how long this site will remain up, in theory it should be up at least for the entirety of 2014.

View the Centre Lawn Condition Assessment Report as a PDF

Enjoy looking at a few old and  more recent pictures of Centre Lawn at Flickr

Also a few panoramic pictures hosted at Panoramio: ONE  → TWO

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Summary

As the hospital population increased at Essondale, the second building, the Acute Psychopathic Unit, now known as Centre Lawn, was officially opened November 1, 1924. It cost $623,168.87 to build and the original capacity of the building was for 300 beds. The occupation of this building made it possible to reclassify a great many of the patients. The top floor of the building was set aside as a psychopathic admission unit entirely separate in its staff organization and its care of patients from all other areas of the institution.
All patients admitted to the hospital were received in this department where physical, laboratory and medical examinations were done.
Patients would then go to a staff clinic where their case was studied and recommendations made by staff as a whole for further treatment. The patient would then be transferred to whatever department of the hospital it was felt best suit their patients needs and requirements. The first registered nurse, Miss Van Wyck, was appointed as Superintendent and there was a great difference from earlier matrons. Beside her registration Miss Van Wyck had special post graduate training in "mental disease" as well as considerable practical experience. Her staff consisted of graduates in psychiatric nursing who came from other Canadian hospitals and the United Kingdom.
It was again noted that there was "a great and most pressing need" at the hospital for more bed capacity. There was considerable overcrowding in the women's department at Public Hospital for the Insane,( P.H.I. ) in New Westminster and it was recommended that immediate consideration be given to providing more beds at P.H.I. and to the construction of the permanent Chronic Building for female patients. It was anticipated that this would take three to five years to complete.