Kendyl J. and Brityn P.
Souris Valley Mental Hospital
Kendyl J. and Brityn P.
Regina Regional Heritage Fair
Regina, SK
The three key people of our story includes Kay Parley (a patient in the hospital who later became a nurse), Francis Huxley (the supervising nurse of Kay Parely while she was a patient), and Humphrey Osmond (the superintendent of the hospital). We learned the hospital opened in 1921 initially, but soon after was over-capacity. Initially, it was meant to house 1045 patients, but quickly was at 2500 patients. Many patients were forced to share rooms and the treatment patients received was often extreme and cruel. In addition, people could be sent there for no real reason – you didn’t need to have a diagnosis to be sent to the hospital. This means many people who were forced to go were not ever seeking treatment for an illness.
What sources and evidence did you consult for your project? What different perspectives did they provide on your topic?
We used a mix of books and documentaries. Specfically, we used the book Managing Madness by Alex Deighton and Erika Dyck as well as the documentary Mental Hosptial at Weyburn an Archaeology of Madness. We also consulted with people who worked at the mental hospital. Specifically, we were in contact with Don Lubiens a caretaker turned nurse at the hospital. We found that by using these sources we were able to learn about first-hand accounts of both the patients experience and the nurses experience. It gave us a different perspective rather than using secondary sources like websites.
What is the historical significance of your topic?
A short-term impact of our topic was, at the time of the hospital operating, people became used to those with mental health disorders being looked at as “other” or “crazy”. Long-term, this has changed. While there is still a stigma regarding mental health disorders, there has been growth and change. Now, people with mental health disorders are part of our every-day lives, not shuttered away. The treatment has also changed for the better.
Why did you choose this topic?
We chose this topic because the Souris Valley Mental Hospital is local to us as Weyburn is about 55 kilometres from Fillmore. The hospital is also no longer standing – it was demolished in 2009, so we wanted to learn more about what used to be.
