A History of Mental Health Facilities in Whitby, 1912 - Present
The Early Stages, 1912
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The Early Stages, 1912Constructing Ontario Hospital Whitby, 1913-1917The Ontario Hospital Whitby BuildingsOntario Military Convalescent Hospital, 1917-1919Whitby Hospital School of Nursing, 1920-1972Serving Seven Counties, 1919-1996A New Building, 1996-PresentFor Further InformationLinks
The Early Stages: A Closer LookOn 7 February 1912, the Ontario government announced that Whitby would be the site for a new mental health facility. The design of the new hospital would be based on contemporary medical views for the treatment of mental health patients. The new facility, called Ontario Hospital Whitby, was set to replace the outdated facility at 999 Queen Street in Toronto which was founded in 1846.
The Ontario government purchased the land on the shores of Lake Ontario in Whitby for $128 000. Consisting of approximately 640 acres of land, the site for the proposed hospital was made up of a number of small farms and a larger property known as Bayside Farm.
Click on the link at left to see more images of the original site of Ontario Hospital Whitby!
Bayside Farm Residence, c,1880 Details
This residence was built on Bayside Farm in 1855. The brick house remained on the site of the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital until it was demolished in 1978. The Ontario government purchased this property from John Smith in 1912.
Bayside Farm looking west from Whitby Harbour, c.1880 Details
Bayside farm would become one of many properties purchased by the Ontario government in 1912 for the proposed site of a mental health facility.
