Whitby Free Press, 20 Jul 1977, p. 8

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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 20,1977, PAGE 7 cal ONTARIO HOSPITAL (Part Two) Construction of the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital buildings began in May of 1913, using prison labor, following the purchase of 600 acres of land by the provincial government in 1912. A narrow guage railway systen was laid out on the grounds to transport sand, gravel and other building materials to the various construction sites. As the work got under way, the hospital began to becorne the talk of the medical profession. In June, 1913, the American Medico-Physiological Association, which was holding a convention at Niagara Falls, sent a delegation to inspect the site. Among the visitors was the superintendent of the Pennysîvania State Hospital for the Insane, who declared that the Whitby hospital would be the most complete and efficient institution of its kind on the continent, if not in the world. Seven of the sixteen cottages were nearing completion by the fall of 1913, all the precast concrete materials being made by prison labor at the Guelph Reformatory. n October there were 100 paid men and 1 17 prisoners at work on the hospital site, and a flourishing farn was in operation to supply milk and food to the workers and to prisons and mental hospitals in the province. Later the hospital was to be self-supporting with food for its patients grown on the premises and milk supplied by a herd of 40 dairy cattle. The plans for the hospital included the retention of the old farm houses on the site, and the orchards and trees associated with these farms. The "asylum" as it was called in those days, was described as a hospital village made up of cottages and larger buildings such as infirmaries. The ultimate capacity of the hospital was to be 1,500 patients, with 52 patients to each cottage, and 104 patients in each of the large infirmaries. The hospital had its own coal-fired power plant; an ice house, for electric refridgerators had not yet replaced the ice box; and its own laundry facilities. Central kitchens and dining rooms served the various groups of patient cottages, and a number of staff cottages were provided. Since the hospital opened in the summer of 1916 it has been Whitby's largest employer, employing more than 1,000 people. In July 1916 the first patients were transferred from Toronto, and the press reports of the day hailed the hospital as one of the most modern in the world. The cottage style and open-air surroundings were said to be copied from modern innovations in Switzerland, and considered very beneficial for people suffering from mental illness. There was an "absolute lack of restrain or detention of any kind", one reporter said, and the wards and cottages were well lighted and well ventilated. The role of the hospital at Whitby, so firmly established by 1916,was to suddenly change the following year because of the First World War. The federal government requisitioned the new buildings for use as a military convalescent liospital at the beginning of 1917, and soon the site was occupied by 1,000 soldiers recuperating from wounds and shell shock received on the battlefields of Europe. Numerous rehabilitation and vocational workshops were set up for the soldiers, and the recreation hall was built BROOKLIN RENTALS Equipment Rental For Construction, Form & Homeowner Anderson St. south of Winchester St. BROOKLIN, ONT. 655-3381 ONTARIO HOSPITAL COTTAGES, 1918 specially to provide a place for entertaining Canada's fighting men who were recovering at the hospital. In January 1920, the hospital was turned back to the provincial government to become a mental institution again, and the building program suspended in 1916 was resumed. The pavilions were built in 1921 and the administration centre in 1925. A school of nursing was opened in 1921, which continued in operation at the hospital until 1972 when community colleges took over this function. Dayton expansion due by end of year By the end of this year Dayton Tire Co. Ltd. is expected to complete a mIulti- million dollar expansion. Company President Tom Reese says employment will reach 850 by the time the expansion program is com- pleted. Employient at Dayton Tire was only 625 a year and a half ago, and an additional 150 workers have been hired since then. According to Mr. Reese, the increase in employces is attributable to the expansion program and the conversion of production from biased and belted-biased tires to radiais. "You're cither into radiais or you're not in business", says Mr. Reese. Dayton Tire has eliminated its warehouse facilities to make way lor additional production equipnent, and further expansion is a definite possibility, says Mr. Reese. le points out that half the land in Whitby owned by Dayton Tire is being used by the company. le predicts the market for radials as replacement tires will increase to 80 per cent by 1980. About 40 per cent of present replacement tires are radials. After Dayton, a subsidiary of Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. of Canada purchased the Whitby plant from Dunlop Tire in 1974, employment dropped by about 200, but despite economic hardships, the plant has made nearly a full recovery. The -Whitby Jaycees Inc. recently placed a successful bid to host the Annual Canada Jaycees - Central Region Basebali Tournament. The Whitby Jaycees presented the'ir bid to the Central Region Jaycees Board of Directors on June 10, 1977 and received unanimous approval. The Baseball Tournament is to be held Saturday, August 6, 1977 at Whitby's. Peel Park and is to be followed by a dance. Teams from 29 Jaycee Units throughout Central and Northern Ontario including Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Oakville and Peter- borough will be in attendance at this tournament. The Whitby Jaycees ac- knowledge the support of The Town of Whitby and various local merchants in obtaining this bid and welcome the people to come out and enjoy the day with them. Blossom into a Beauty with a new Summer Hairstyle Time for a new hairstyle to compliment your new wardrobe. Look lovely, elegant, enchanting, any way you want. with a new hairstyle created to show you at your best by our professional stylists. LA CONTESSA BEAUTY LOUNGE 119 Green St. 668-9262 r ianWiter's H istori Whitby Jaycees to host basebail tournament MR%

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