Monday, July 15, 2013

RHCS display at the Port Coquitlam Heritage museum

I was in PoCo today, and went to visit the Heritage at Leigh Square, (museum), and surprise, surprise, there was a display about Riverview Hospital in place, apparently Norma G., had just installed it, and just left before I arrived. According to the website there is an official opening on Thursday July 18 at 6.30 pm. Be there, or be normal !    The display will be there for a few months apparently
A few pictures . . .
 A larger image of this table display, with a description is on Flickr
VIM Electric breast pump ( industrial size ! ) description and larger size photo at Flickr


 Cream can from Colony Farm; larger photo at Flickr

 Side-view of table display, larger image is available on Flickr

 Panoramic image of the display. The map on the left is difficult to view without a magnifying glass, but it is incredibly detailed.  Larger image is available on Flickr


Friday, July 5, 2013

fallow fields

 Update: Local Mounties seek missing person from Colony Farm
Coquitlam RCMP are seeking the public assistance to locate a missing person from Colony Farm Forensic Psychiatric Hospital. Christopher Todd Taylor, 43, is a Colony Farm out-patient who was supposed to see staff July 2nd. He did not attend his appointment. He last contacted hospital staff on June 25th.

Taylor is described as:  a Caucasian male,  6'1" tall,  177 lbs,  dark brown hair,  brown eyes, and
    fair complexion. It was unknown what type of clothing he was wearing at the time of missing.

Taylor suffers a mental disorder and should not be approached. Anyone with information about Taylor or his current whereabouts is asked to contact the Coquitlam RCMP.
------------

Destruction through neglect.
 I wonder where the Fire Marshall is on this giant conflagration waiting to happen? Surely the Fire Marshall has the greatest say in this matter, since the Province obviously does not care about OUR assets.
Province lets the grass grow at riverview

Two replies to the above newspaper article;  CITY COULD MOW, TOO
  and  RIVERVIEW NEEDS TO BE MAINTAINED
and  the Deputy Premier responds:
  Riverview lands viewed as a "long-term asset"

DEPUTY PREMIER RESPONDS TO MLA AND COQUITLAM COUNCILLORS' CONCERNS

*     *     *     *     *
Here is a transcribed letter that was sent to me, it relates also to the above situation in some ways, all about money!


March 1, 2013                                                                        Ref: 97512
His Worship Richard Stewart, Mayor
City of Coquitlam, Office of the Mayor
30001 Guildford Way, Coquitlam BC V3B 7N2

Dear Mayor Stewart:

Re: Riverview Lands

Thank you for your letter of October 31, 2012, addressed to Minister Rich Coleman and myself, regarding the Coquitlam City Council’s resolutions for the Riverview Lands combined with a copy of the report “For the Future of Riverview”. Please accept my apology for the delay in response.
In your letter, Coquitlarn City Council requests that the Province of British Columbia read and consider the report “For the Future of Riverview” in conjunction with the Province’s Heritage Conservation Plan. The Province is committed to an open and transparent planning process for the future use of the Riverview Lands. The report “For the Future of Riverview” will be a valuable contribution to that planning process.
We are pleased to learn of the City of Coquitlain’s interest in working with the Province to develop a future use plan for the Riverview Lands, which will honour its heritage values. Also, this plan will support economic, social and environmental objectives of the City of Coquitlam, the region and the province.
In your letter, Coquitlam City Council urges the Province to act upon the Immediate Actions as set out in the Heritage Conservation Plan; in particular a feasibility study for re-use of some of the buildings. Shared Services BC, part of the Ministry of Citizens’ Services and Open Government, is in the process of developing an implementation plan to address the Immediate Actions which includes a feasibility study. The yearly net cost of $4.5 million to maintain the Riverview Lands combined with costs of implementing the Immediate Actions will be important components of future use planning discussions with the City of Coquitlam.

We invite the City of Coquitlam to engage in dialogue with the Province to identify methods of reducing this burden while achieving the objectives of both levels of government.
The Coquitlam City Council also asks that the Province support the National Historic Site nomination. The Province recognizes the historical significance of the Riverview Lands and its importance to the community, the region and the province. Shared Services BC followed through on our commitment to develop the Heritage Conservation Plan. This was the largest heritage-related public consultation undertaken for a specific property by the Province. The Heritage Conservation Plan documented the heritage values and developed a statement of significance based upon those values. The Heritage Conservation Plan will help guide the management of the lands and inform future land use planning, and as such, the Province does not
support the National Historic Site nomination.
Thank you for your efforts to work collaboratively with the Province to develop a future use plan for the Riverview Lands and for the time you have taken to bring your suggestions to our attention. We trust our comments will provide some assurance that our ministries’ are working to address these issues.

Sincerely








Ben Stewart, Minister

pc: Honourable Rich Coleman
Minister of Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas and Minister Responsible for
Housing and Deputy Premier
City of Coquitlam,
Mr. Peter Steblin, Manager, City of Coquitlam


Ministry of Office of Citizens’ Services and Open Government. Office of the Minister Mailing Address: P0 Box 9068 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, B.C. V8W 9E2
Location: Room 346, Parliament Buildings,Victoria BC V8V 1X4
Phone: 250-952-7623
Fax: 250-952-7628
 www.gov.bc.ca/citz

 -30-

As you can see from reading this letter, in which the Province was glacial in replying to; that the Province is pleading poverty, begging the people of Coquitlam to put their money where their mouths are, and cough up money to run the site. Sort of like your neighbor asking you to take care of their property and home, with no compensation;"Sure, I will cut your lawn, and trim your trees for free". Note that the Province was not supportive of the National Historic Site designation too!

Save the Riverview Hospital lands

The Riverview Hospital lands, are under pressure to be developed into market housing. Help to save the lands as a healing sanctuary for the mentally ill of OUR Province.



Please join the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society,( RHCS ) Facebook page. Twitter too!

Please sign the On-line petition or download a Word document petition ,which is a more official type of petition.
Blogs, about the hospital grounds
Mike Farnworth,MLA; Facebook forum " Protect the Riverview Lands"
And another Facebook group: Riverview Preservation Society
this group also has a petition to sign.

Click-able Map of the Riverview site

BISCO -- Brookside-Leeside-Roadside -- Centre Lawn -- Colony Farm
Crease Clinic -- East Lawn -- Essondale Hospital
Finnie's Garden -- Henry Esson Young -- Hillside unit
Home for the Aged-Valleyview -- North Lawn
Nurses homes -- Pennington Hall -- TreeFest -- West Lawn
John Davidson; "Botany John" blog. He was the first Provincial Botanist, who created British Columbia's first Botanical Garden at Riverview.
Other groups involved Riverview Horticultural Centre Society
Who also have a media NEWS Blog
You can also download a 42 page report titled, For the future of Riverview created by the Riverview Task Force.
Or Burke Mountain Naturalists, report: The Riverview Hospital Site, Respecting its Past,Realizing its Future
Coquitlam has designated the buildings and grounds, as a heritage site.
Download the Statement of Significance; SoS report PDF

Tour through the grounds


Paul Buikema, of Progress Landscaping, created this video.

Treefest 2011 slideshow


A slideshow of images from the Tree festival of 2011. Created in HD. Enjoy.

Riverview trees

Finnie's Garden -- slideshow

Finnie's Garden -- Pond restoration slideshow

TreeFest -- slideshow