Whitby Free Press, 19 Oct 1994, p. 22

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ft'm *9 A.ihu :càD Pr., l aI mdu- ct I Ã" 1Q-CÃ"A Librariandcuet hosp'ital's, ri ch hilstor.y BALLA RDS RAUrOPRQ "As a supplier'to the Whitby Psychiatric Hosp'5ýital we wish to congratulate them on their 75 years of seî *vice ta the corhmunîty, and to wish them ail the best in the, future. .... . .......'31. 1AN=IC-.11 Brakes e Muff lers& Exhaust Systems e Shocks e Front End Suspensions eFront Wheel Drive Components *Lifetime Warranty z a/o By Davii 440 Hopkins St., -Unit *Electrical Repairs *Tune-Ups & Fuel Injections *Safety Checks e Air Conditioning Service e Gas Tanks e Shuttie Service fid Ballard 29 South of Dundas By John Dujay Back when the Whitby Psychi- atric Hospital was built, its unqecottage atmosphere was reouionary, even considered state-of-the-art. When the new $133-million complex is compiete in 1996, it wili also be a state-of-the-art facility, says WPH staff librarian Cathy Ward. It is part of her job to ensure that the hospital's glorious past is maintained. The history com- mittee, made -up af staff mein- bers and community persons who are interested in _preserving the hospital's past, finds oiddcu- ments, furniture and other equipment from the past and she puts it ahl together. "They do the finding and I do the cataloguing,» she says.. Some of th e "museuin pieces" that have been discovered to this point inlude wicker furniture, an old cord-type switchboard that the hosital stopped using in 1989, niedical equxpment, old farm equipinent and some aid news articles and documents such as the original purchase agreement dnted 1912. Its value was $128,000'. Ward is a member of the his- tory committee and the museuin committee. She says that- the comiittees are currentiy. attempting ta contact former staff by mail. If an y former staff members wish ta heip i n their worlc she encourages them to cali her at the hospitai. The history éom mittee isà eurrently on hoi *d but they are trying to-put ail tie material tagether- te write a book, or produce a video of the hospital history. Waàrd, who has a- great enthu- siasm for her job, says that the hospital used ta be self-suffcient., Thre patients used te run a farm and ail of their food needs were iooked after.. As a member.of the 75th anni- versary committee, Ward ýcom- piles' decades of turnes in the staff newsietter called Staff OPERATING room, shown in 1920S' photo. Whltby Psychiatrie Ho*spitaI Archives photo Liner. t lists events that hap- pened in certain decades. There are many. interesting facts that have cropped up through the years. There was aimast. an entire community on the site in the early years. A railway station on the Grand T7runk line, a saw ilil, gardens and a cannery made up the original location. The cost for the original hospital: $700,000. I-lit by The original patient'population was 1,542 in 1925. When the new facility is built, there wili be roorn for 325 beds. Throughout the. years, many interesting- things have hap- penéd. In 1921, the men's infirmar .burned to, the ground. In 1924 the first phone ýsystein *was in- stalled at thé hospitai. .In 1941, the entire, psychoiogy department shut down,'because the:only psychologist an 'staff wetofowar. And in 1956, Hurricane Hazel destroyed saine buildings. These are just a few- of the' acts that Ward describes in her newsietter pieces. Ward aiea helps staff in their quest for research. She compiles reports after receiving requests about variaus topics, «You're always iearning, you can't help it," she. says of the' great tpleaeure she -gets. «It's neyerth e samie thingtw,,ice. - There wili bé sine, sort of histoical di&piay"iný the 'new building, sayiý,Ward. Perhaps it will consist of glass dispiays in thé, frant lobby but she stresses that this. is StiR in the 'planning stages. "Right now, we're iooking at:- *hat's there.ý" o0n 75 Years of Service Food Service'Solutions for the Future... To dBy! BUILT'in 1919, this barn was one- of the instead became a storage facllity. The barn Iargest in the province, and was used for burned down on Nov. 4, 1976. dairy cattie operations until 1969 when it Whhby Psychiatrie Hospital Archives photo ....................... Splr]-'A 1 WHITBY PSV. HO t

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