Willingdon to move to Riverview

 Apparently today December 17,2015 at Valleyview 300 an announcement was made.
The Renewing Riverview folks have put up a PDF outlining this Vision

Online open house from Thursday, December 17, 2015 – Friday, January 29, 2016 on  PlaceSpeak
Sadly the participants are required to sign up to this privately-owned forum; and the process to do so is convoluted and confusing :(  which has been pointed out to the people in charge before, but nothing has changed.

 Send the facilitators of the "visioning process" an email to share your thoughts.   questions@renewingriverview.com

So it appears that The Maples   the  Provincial Assessment Centre,PAC   and the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addiction, BCMHA  all at this time based in Burnaby, will be moved to Riverview.

A quick glance through the PDF finds numerous mistakes, half-truths, and outright wrong facts, strewn throughout the document.  I would expect much better and indeed the public should expect more accurate and truthful reporting in such a document. 

Sadly the bureaucrats and their paternalistic attitudes want to sell-off large portions of the property, using their break-even formulae; Which means really that the public will lose control off a large portion of this property, and we the public will have nothing to show for it, since any profits will be swallowed up paying off the various leeches, that make a living preying on the Public purse.

 Various news sources:

Mental health facility, commercial district are in works for Riverview
Six-week feedback period for Coquitlam lands vision; Kwikwetlem looks to receive benefits

 Riverview Lands revisioning to include new mental health buildings
The former psychiatry facility has been sitting mostly empty since it was shut down in 2012

 Three programs to move to new facilities on Riverview grounds

 New Riverview plans don't meet B.C.'s mental health needs, say UBC researchers
The province says the days of locking up people with mental health problems are over.
[Oh, really ! hopefully some bureaucrat can explain what is going on at Colony Farm, and Cypress lodge, which is on the site. Some patients have to be kept secure, for the staff and the public safety, and above all for the Patients safety ]

Missing patient

Must be some concern about this fellow Jason Kirkpatrick, a patient at Cypress Lodge. Missing since the 15 October.
       "Leave them alone and they will come home, wagging their tails behind them." We hope that this is the final outcome with this fellow.

UPDATE:  Well it appears that the RCMP have already removed their link to the story. So it would appear that this fellow is safe and sound.  I wish that the RCMP would get it together, and just revise the pages on their bulletins, very unprofessional :(.     Typically they just remove the page,and the public never knows the ending.    They ask for information from the public, but it is a one way street.

Tree Fest 2015

TREEFEST 2015 – RIVERVIEW HOSPITAL SITE, COQUITLAM, BC

The Silver Lindens are nearly a century old. A family of elephants could shelter under the canopy of the tall Smooth-Leaf Elms.  For 22 years, Treefest has celebrated these and the hundreds of other remarkable trees as well as the historic buildings and landscapes of Riverview. 

Treefest will be held on Saturday, September 19th from 11 am to 4 pm.  It is hosted by the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society in partnership with the City of Coquitlam and the Burke Mountain Naturalists.

Treefest is a celebration of environmental stewardship. The day will be filled with family-oriented activities. The always popular arborist-led Tree Tours will be held on the hour; plus a Children’s Walk. Well-known Vancouver heritage consultant Donald Luxton will lead a tour of some of the Heritage Buildings (exterior only).  Blackberry Tea will be served in the Serenity Garden by Maple Creek Streamkeeper volunteers. The SPARC antique radio museum will be open for visitors, and the hosts of the History Bus Tours will offer insight and stories on Riverview/Essondale history. Bus seating is very limited and can be reserved with a $2 donation.

Since 1992 the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society has increased public awareness of the Riverview Lands in Coquitlam.  The Society’s goal has been to have the site preserved for its original purpose of supporting people with mental illness and to protect the Riverview landscape and collection of trees for horticultural education, retention of urban green space and public community uses. 

The future of Riverview is uncertain.  The public process conducted by BC Housing continued this year.  More information should be available in September.  Riverview has historically been a sanctuary for the mentally ill.  It is hoped that it can once again be a refuge for people living with mental illness. 

The Treefest site is outside the HenryEsson Young (“HEY”) Building, accessible from the Lougheed Highway at the Colony Farm Road or Orchid Drive entrances.  Banners and signs will mark the way and maps of the Riverview grounds are available online at rhcs.org.
For more info visit Coquitlam Treefest   or call 604-927-3583 or 604-290-9910.

Donna Crosby, RHCS    

Phone 604-939-4064

Email    donna@rhcs.org

Caresse Selk, City of Coquitlam

Phone 604-927-3583

Email     cselk@coquitlam.ca

Open House #4 over and done with

My critique would be that the moderator should have moderated the questioning from the public much better. One public speaker actually was able to speak twice  ☹ 
As I expected none of the speakers wavered far away from the governments narrow position of the site must make at least enough money to balance the books. And sadly most of the public speakers had no questions or answers to the government's very narrow position of "break even"

       Sadly the buildings are rapidly deteriorating while all this rhetoric is going on, and if a decision is made to preserve many of the buildings, they will cost a small fortune to re purpose and restore.  No mention of other government departments has been forthcoming in wanting to use the site; actually I have no idea if the bureaucrats involved have been shopping the site around to the various departments.  Preferably health care in its many facets should be continued on the site since the buildings were designed and built with those goals in mind., 111 years the site has been used for health care, hopefully another 111 is in its future.

Riverview panel gets an earful   "Some amount of development is going to have to happen"

My answer to "Some amount of development is going to have to happen" is NO, actually if the existing buildings are restored they should generate more than enough income to "break even"; just have to find some long term stable rental, leasing arrangements with various health care groups. 

 Not impressed with the analogy of using East Lawn's rough restoration price of 30 million, and then trying to put that cost into building condos, apartments, etc to pay for it. What about just putting 30 million into a East Lawn conversion?  No mention of that; typical frontier mentality, knock everything down and start again.  Proper building restoration is becoming a lost art in British Columbia; need to get the technical schools involved on the site, and teach the new generations how to restore buildings properly.
Tired of hearing that these building do not meet today's seismic standards, many of these building have witnessed some good shakes through the years, and no damage was ever reported.  Cannot say that about newer buildings, since they have not been tested yet. 

I will hope that there is more information and opportunity to provide input to be placed upon the RenewingRiverview site soon.

The meeting is available on video:   Riverview Open House #4 - Panel Discussion    2:48:34
 Also view video clips from the prior Open Houses

Hirings

Riverview job posting raises red flags

Time will tell if this is a good thing or a bad thing.  Must remember what B.C. Housing's mandate is...

Fits well with an older posting 

I find it interesting though that the government was crying poverty, and looking for ways to reduce their costs at Riverview,; and now all of a sudden there is a flurry of activity, which is NOT the way to reduce costs.  Tart the place up a bit, before the fire sale?

Open house 4 date set

So all along the website stated:
Open house 4 – Creation of Vision Process
Open house 4 – Creation of Vision Process  
Open house 4 – Panel Discussion – [ site changed description on May 19 2015, thanks to Internet Archive Wayback Machine] for saving the files.   Apparently the rules have changed we were told all along that this Open House 4 would actually be where the public would get to see all the condensed comments, and have a final say if we agree with them. Now we are going to be bored to death with four talking heads, justifying their existence in this world, by ranting about who knows what.

So  Open House 4 now relegated to a panel discussion will be on,  Wednesday, June 10, 2015

TIME:
6:30pm – 7:00pm – Sign in
7:00pm – BC Housing Introduction
7:10pm – 9:30pm – Panel discussion

PLACE: Executive Plaza Hotel,  405 North Rd, Coquitlam


Out with the Creation of Vision Process and in with the Vision Already Created Process, by four talking heads.

 Moderator will be: Gordon Price  hey you can E-Mail him. He has a wikipedia page   apparently Tweets sometimes too.

Dr. Julian Somers

Darrell Burnham, (Scroll to Bottom of page) Chief Executive Officer, Coast Foundation Society. Hey you can E-Mail him if you want.


Brent Toderian  who also Tweets sometimes.

Tsur Somerville   and more about him



Update:   Last round of Riverview consultation is next month  [Note: sad to hear from Michael Flanagan that the Gov. still does not want to have an acute mental health care component at the hospital.  ]
And after a much anticipated long wait the Third Open House Report is now available for your perusal.

And as everyone is waiting for the final outcomes of this study in social intercourse, not far away another announcement:  $260-million RCH redevelopment a game changer for mental health

RCH the new Riverview?  A government that is not looking properly at the costs, considerably cheaper to create many of the wants at Riverview, than at RCH.

Riverview ramblings

During Mental Health Week, the local Coquitlam library, put on many events related to health care.
The Riverview Hospital Historical Society was very much a significant part of the program, and they had an entire room set up with artifacts from  various times in the hospital's history. I have created a small photo album of some of the displayed material

Dr. John Higenbottam gave an informative slide show about mental health care, and how important Riverview was, and should continue to be in the mental health of the residents of  British Columbia.
 Below are a few of the slides transcribed:

 The need for Specialized Psychiatric Hospitalization and Rehabilitation / Residential care

        It is also important to understand that the incidence rates for serious health problems have remained constant over the years which means that each year a number of new cases emerge, some of which will fall into the groups described above.

        This means not only that the system problems currently being experienced will continue over time, but that these groups will continue to grow.
Accordingly, the current system problems will increase over time rather than diminish.

Education and  Training

         Throughout its existence Riverview served as an education and training resource for mental health workers throughout the province. At various times, nurses, physicians, psychiatry residents and other members of the allied health professions received education and training on campus.

        Riverview's library and educational outreach programs were also valuable resources supporting mental health professionals throughout the province.

         With Riverview' closing a valuable mental health education and training capacity was lost which is having long term consequences for British Columbia's capacity to educate, train and support practitioners who work with the seriously mentally ill and severely addicted and mentally ill people.

---30---

Dr. John Higenbottam, created a report for the City of Coquitlam, not that long ago:
  Into the Future: The Coquitlam Health Campus
And more of the City of Coquitlam's position on Riverview can be found HERE

         I am not even in the business of health care, but as an outsider looking in; Dr. Higenbottam, made many of same observations as I have had.; but in essence closing Riverview was a huge mistake, and we are actually paying more now per patient, and the patient costs are more distributed and hidden from the public than before, with very little of the money allotted for the care actually being directed at the patients themselves. As it was when Riverview was operating.

        He also mentioned that apparently 2% of all Federal Government monies are given to each Province for mental health care, and the other provinces keep track of the spending, while in B.C. in just disappears into a big pot, and nobody knows if in fact the 2% is actually used for mental health care. 


And I just noticed that this is my 102nd posting here.
I can only hope that I make it to this lady's stage of life:  The oldest working nurse in the United States turns 90 and still going!

 Florence Nightingale Digitization Project

 The great and the good visit the asylum

Missing patient finally found

Sadly a bad ending, Donald Bonner, missing since 2008 from the Coast Cottages at Riverview.  I missed posting this in 2008, they can be a secretive lot in the forensic portions of the health care system.
Man who disappeared from Coquitlam psychiatric hospital found dead in Ontario

Must have had some help, money or both to get that far.

Born August 1959 , weight 110kg

 Remains of man missing from Forensic Psychiatric Hospital found in Ontario
 Missing forensic hospital patient found dead in Ontario

I do not remember his AWOL at all, if it had been more widely publicized the outcome may have been very different, this fellow would have stood out more than most in a crowd. 

Journey in Mental Health Care

At the City Centre branch of the Coquitlam public library: 
May 4 to 8, 2015 Journey in Mental Health Care. Past, Present & Future.  Should be interesting...

      I recently was contacted by a grand-daughter of the first Head male nurse at Essondale, AKA Riverview Hospital; after I had posted a little information about Gilbert Mathewson.  And I was delighted to recieve in the mail, a small photo album, that was created by her grandmother, and it actually appears to be a souvenir of the opening of the Male Chronic Wing, AKA West Lawn, it contains many pictures of the new building. And also the grandmother, Margaret A. Mathewson, inserted some family and local photographs on the blank pages, a real treasure this little album is, most of the photographs are 100 years old or nearly.
I will slowly scan and attempt to identify the exact locations of the photographs.
I am honoured to gave been given this album, but I think that after I make a high-resolution copy of it, I will donate it to a museum.

The cover: notice the logo and M and H = Mental Hospital
Western Studios, appears to have been started by Paul Seligman (1865-?) operated from 1913-1914, probably a little longer, before he moved to Oregon to ply his trade.

A view out the main entrance of West Lawn, note the beautiful marble, it is stunning to see it with your own eyes.

Riverview Sold?

Well it appears that the new boss of the site (B.C. Housing) is wasting no time in being sleazy in their ways.
Apparently a request for proposal (RFP) was asked for by them on February 23, 2015
And the bidding process was opened on March 2, with a "public" meeting a few days later on March 6.

This is how "Our" government works
 Request for Proposal (RFP) Abstract: RFP 1070-1415/78 Master Planning Consultant Services Riverview Development

On the E-bid site :  Master Planning Consultant Services Riverview Development

the above E-Bid  is shown below, in most of its entirety, since these bids, get removed eventually.

for more information contact: 
Michael Lachocki
BC Housing Management Commission
1701 - 4555 Kingsway
Burnaby, British Columbia
V5H 4V8
Phone:
Fax:
Email:   purchasing@bchousing.org


addendum #2 - Due to significant interest in this opportunity the information meeting has
been moved to a larger venue. The date and time remain the same:

Element Vancouver Metrotown (Westin)
5988 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby BC
Tel: 604-568-3696 or 604-347-9688

room: Evergreen Ballroom A (Third floor)


Addendum #1 - The information meeting will be held: Friday, March 06, 2015 1 pm PST at
the designated location

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL


Master Planning, Infrastructure & Development Consultant Services Riverview Lands, Coquitlam, BC


Master Planning, Infrastructure & Development Consultants are invited to submit a proposal
for Request for Proposal (RFP) #1070-1415/78 for Master Planning, Infrastructure &
Development Consulting for Riverview Lands, Coquitlam, BC.

The Site:

The Lands are owned by the Province of British Columbia (Province). For almost 100 years
the Lands have been a place of healing, caring and tranquility for many BC residents who
suffer from mental illness. While its role as a home to Riverview Hospital has come to a
close, its history and legacy as a place of care and healing will remain. As the steward
of these Lands, the Province is committed to balancing environmental leadership, heritage
stewardship, and community aspirations with the needs of BC's citizens, as the future of
the Lands is considered.

BC Housing has been charged with the responsibility of leading the planning for the future
use of the Lands. BC Housing will require the services of the Master Planning,
Infrastructure & Development Consultant (Lead Consultant) to assist with the land use
planning.

Brief Description of Work

The Master Planning, Infrastructure & Development Consultant (Lead Consultant) will assist
BC Housing with developing a plan for the future use of the Lands that balances the
interests of stakeholders and is consistent with the Guiding Principles and further set
out in the RFP.

The successful Proponent will be required to develop a coherent framework plan for the
entire Riverview Lands by working collaboratively and iteratively with BC Housing and
various stakeholders. The Proponent's primary role will be to translate the development
program into a compelling but practical plan and to ensure that it can and will achieve
all the public goals, sustainability, quality of place, good urban form, environmentally
responsible delivery of all construction works, while at the same time delivering the
phasing, implementations, feasibility, financing and other development objectives.

The comprehensive list of Deliverables is identified within the RFP tender document.

The successful proponent shall accept all the above activities as one complete work
package.

Information Meeting

Date: 06 March 2015
Time: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM PST
Location: Hilton Vancouver Metrotown,6083 McKay Avenue, Burnaby, BC

The RFP timetable is tentative only, and may be changed by BC Housing at any time.

Issue Date of RFP: 23 February 2015
Information Meeting Date: 06 March 2015 @1:00 p.m. PST
Deadline for Questions: 12 March 2015
Deadline for Issuing Addenda: 17 March 2015
Submission Date: 09 April 2015 @ 2:00 p.m. PST

Your proposal MUST be submitted using the following method:

It must be submitted electronically through MERX, the electronic tendering system used by
BC Housing @ www.merx.com/bch . Proposals submitted in any other
manner will bedisqualified. For assistance in using MERX, please watch the online Electronic Bid
Submission tutorial:  Alternatively, you can contact MERX directly at 1-800-964-MERX or visit the MERX website

First tree walk 2015

Well we did the first tree walk of the season, with only the occasional very light sprinkling of rain,  falling upon us all. A good turnout 32 souls in this photo with at least a handful more out of the viewfinder.
Sadly the arborist who was scheduled to lead the tour could not be there.  So the RHCS members present answered any questions that were asked as best they could.

This walk was done in the memory of Sue Haberger, whose loss is still deeply felt amongst many RHCS members, and her friends and family.

Tree walk group with Centre Lawn in the background

A rather poor photo of one side of the Serenity Garden, where volunteers have cleaned up considerably. Note the bare brown patch under the tree which extends into the garden, and which was until recently covered with blackberry plants.

And there is still no word from the consultants running the RenewingRiverview project
 

Hospitals filled with patients that have mental health issues

The first tree hugging session of the 2015 season will start shortly  Download a one page PDF(158K) that has the scheduled walks, also visit the RHCS website, since sometimes there are other walks not listed in the schedule.  First walk this year is dedicated to the memory of Sue Haberger, read the local newspaper article about the event:  The first Riverview tree walk of 2015 will honour the memory of Sue Haberger

Sue Haberger is second on the right, and her mother is seated, she is also now deceased.  This photo was taken at the closing ceremony event for the staff in June of 2012, where the Raging Greenies, seen here crashed the event to provide some inspirational singing devoted to the preservation of the Riverview Hopital site.  Read the previous blog article about this event.

☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

 And now for the headline article:

B.C. has higher rates of hospital stays due to mental illness than the rest of Canada
     More treatment needed, Vancouver experts say, but not in psych wards.

The article refers to a report:  CIHI releases top 10 reasons for hospitalization and surgery

And a reply to the Vancouver Sun article:  excerpt from an opinion piece in the Vancouver Sun  printed below in its entirety.

opinion:   Seriously mentally ill left out in cold

Re: B.C. has higher rates of hospital stays due to mental illness than the rest of Canada, March 5

Increasing community resources and telephone access to talk therapy may be important for people with mental illness, but it cannot substitute for a dedicated centre like Riverview hospital.

It will not address the needs of those experiencing first-break psychosis, those relapsing, and those with treatment-resistant psychosis.

Community care also cannot meet the needs of individuals struggling with complex concurrent disorders whose needs could be met if Riverview was available as a one-stop shop for mental illness and substance abuse.

Focusing on people with mild-to-moderate problems may seem like a really good way to spend smart — but it leaves our most seriously ill and most vulnerable citizens out in the cold. In the long run this will cost not only more money, but more lives as well.

ANA NOVAKOVIC

BC Schizophrenia Society, Richmond

Treatments of the past

llustrations of Madness: James Tilly Matthews and the Air Loom

Mike Jay recounts the tragic story of James Tilly Matthews, a former peace activist of the Napoleonic Wars who was confined to London’s notorious Bedlam asylum in 1797 for believing that his mind was under the control of the “Air Loom” – a terrifying machine whose mesmeric rays and mysterious gases were brainwashing politicians and plunging Europe into revolution, terror, and war.

Some of the books written by Haslam
 Illustrations of Madness  by John Haslam 1810

 Fast forword a hundred years or so
  When Treatment Becomes Torture


         And finally a changing of the bureaucracy that administers the lands and buildings.
Riverview Hospital lands change hands
Only time will tell if the new overseers will restore the site to its intended purpose, Health Care.
Sadly their history tells another story of selling real estate.

Water main will create tree loss

Bad enough the oil companies wanted to trash portions of Colony Farm, see an older posting;

       This Water main project to Port Mann, in Surrey, was actually started before the oil pipeline project by Metro Vancouver, and being that it is a government project it grinds along like a glacier.

       I was sent a report today, created by:  Diamond Head Consulting Ltd., entitled:
  Arborist Report Portman Main No.2, North, Coquitlam, B.C. updated 19 January 2015 (2869K) PDF.  No idea where the name of Portman comes from, should read Port Mann I would think, because that is where this water main is going.

And also a map Portmann Main #2 tree retetnion and removal   19 January 2015  (PDF)

       I spelled it the way it was written, so we are getting a little closer to Port Mann, but fail in the spelling of "retention".  The last PDF is a map of the areas being impacted by the water main going through the Riverview Hospital property.

 Another nasty scar slashed through the landscape, from Riverview hospital up near Mariner Way, through Colony Farm, through its critical habitat treed wind-break to go under the Fraser River near the Port Mann bridge, and into Surrey and beyond.  

Port Mann is named after Sir Donald Mann and  most of the area that we now call, Port Mann was previously known as Bon Accord, prior to the railway yards being built there.  A salmon hatchery, and a salmon cannery were once in the area, both named Bon Accord.

 The project is part of  the Port Mann Water Supply Tunnel  read the PDF factsheet

Renewing Riverview

So the consultation period is now over, with a nice rally at the end.
From the Tri-City News:   Big gain in Riverview consultation
Note: I have no idea where the date of 103-years of ownership comes from in the article it gets perpetuated over and over. The people of this Province have owned the property since May of 1904, which with my math would make it to be almost 111-years, the first buildings were up by 1908, with many other permanent buildings at Colony Farm completed in 1912; West Lawn was completed in late 1912, and officially opened 1913.

Now the waiting begins to be able to view the results from the RenewingRiverview consultants.


Let us hope that since B.C. Housing will be taking over the property, that they do not go down the same road outlined in this article from the Vancouver Sun:

  B.C. Housing property dump to balance the books;  It’s politics, not vision, behind the sale of public land

Riverview Heights

      In 1983, West Lawn closed and farming operations at Colony Farm were discontinued. In 1984, the provincial government sold 57 hectares (141 acres) of Riverview lands to Molnar Developments. Shortly afterward, this land was subdivided and became Riverview Heights, with about 250 single family homes.

      In 1984-5, the B.C. Enterprise Corporation, BCEC, part of  the Ministry of Forests and Lands, “quietly” called for proposals to sell government lands.
       And in 1985 and Molnar Construction Limited, won the right to develop 140-acres of the Riverview hospital property, from seventeen other “competing “ bidders.
       Andre Molnar was the person behind this deal, a sweet deal it was. The winning bid was $20,565,000 to be paid off as the property is drawn down for development, by May of 1988 $12,214,088 was paid; total balance due on the 3rd of July 1990; with no interest accruing.
Deputy Minister of Forests and lands, under the Bill Bennett, and William "Bill" Vander Zalm regimes was Mr. Robert "Bob" Flitton, a Social Credit insider,  Peter S. Hyndman was the government lawyer involved in many of the transactions.  All of this was part of 25 different land sales, that the government was proceeding with during this time; Westwood Plateau, acquired by Li Ka-shing, with much the same conditions was also completed.

Robert “Bob” Flitton, in 1983

Initially the cost per lot was $20,400, which increased to $34,000, then $66,650 and more 
       In 1989 Andre Molnar was appointed to the  British Columbia Housing Management Commission, the appointment ended in 1992.
Andre Molnar did considerable development work in the area operating under various names:  Molnar Construction Company; Molnar Enterprises Limited… and is still in business primarily in the USA. If I remember correctly he declared bankruptcy with one or all of his companies in B.C, so that may explain why he now works in the states.    MolnarGroup
      Riverview Heights park, the taxpayers of Coquitlam also had to buy some parkland for $528,669 from the senior government, and a school site from the province, price unknown. So today we have  Riverview Park and Riverview Park Elementary school

          So we have 140-acres removed from the hospital lands, but there is more than that removed, Molnar had the northerly portion; more research will find out who developed the southern portion.  I know that there has been interest shown in developing the orchard area of the remaining hospital grounds; one day a few years ago many survey posts were planted with the patients later removing them, and informing the public about the activity, which when the public roared with disapproval; nothing more was said or done to the orchard; the orchard is one of the first agricultural activities done at  Essondale in the early 1910’s.

      Many people have also noted that all the building activities on the site in recent years have all occurred in the northern section of the site, with a rapid abandonment of buildings in the southern section to the elements.

The area outlined in RED once part of the Riverview hospital property.
The area outlined in GREEN Riverview forest, a city of Coquitlam park,
it could also have been fully developed if not for a few concerned citizens,
including some foresters bringing attention to its value as a park.

Have a peek at some survey maps, of the hospital lands sold through the years.
North western portion  ( the Molnar lots 1985)
Middle section ( Fars F.R. Holdings ) (1984)
Southern section ( 1983 )
The remaining hospital grounds

Some of the details can be found in the Hansard reports:
Province of British Columbia
34th Parliament, 2nd Session,  Debates of the Legislative Assembly (Hansard)
March 9, 1987 to March 11, 1988
Some lively debating occurred in the legislature surrounding these land deals.
Riverview Heights land, price of lots 4518 
Riverview Heights land sale, information re 4485  —   4488  — 4499
Riverview Heights land, servicing costs 4514   —  4518 
Riverview Heights land, subdivision of  4515  — 4518 
Riverview Heights land, value of Q. 3756

So we have questionable activities, by questionable people; ( a quick online search, will bring up many instances of the people named here ) no wonder the public is very wary anytime Riverview is mentioned or survey pegs are seen on the property. 

competing ideas

Article from the Georgia Strait:  Competing ideas for Riverview balance mental-health care with community living.

Letter to the editor Tri-City News:

More must be done to save Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam.

This property should be kept totally in public control in perpetuity, market housing, in any form does not belong there. The property was primarily built on the backs on the patients, with them knowing that it was theirs, and now we have a government that chooses to look the other way, because they see a few dollars in their pockets; the chances of any land sale money being directed into specialized homes for challenged people is a false one;  over 200 acres was sold previously of the property, and not one cent came back into the coffers of the hospital. How much of the Tranquille, or Woodlands land sales came back into the hospital system, NONE. The province is littered with many more examples, where lands previously devoted to health care were removed and sold, and the monies put into general revenue. I do not see any change in this pattern in the foreseeable future

Renew, Restore, Revive Riverview

A letter from last year:   Differing views on riverview
       Letter to the editor from Jenny Farley

YEAR IN REVIEW: Riverview Hospital

This is IMPORTANT :    Illustrated Ideas – Your turn to rate the features
you are presented with numerous panels, and you are asked to rate the concepts presented. This information will be used to generate a report due sometime this spring. Last call for comments in January 16, 2015

The highlight of last year was the reopening of the Hillside building and the Brookside building
See the details from a previous post

Apparently people have been seen going inside Valleyview 300, the specialized geriatric care building, that has been shut now for a few years, a crime to humanity that was.

Also word is that the Unit 8  ( the large concrete building near the cemetery ) is to be knocked down, unknown if anything will rise from the space vacated by its demise.  Surprised that this building is being demolished, it is made almost entirely of reinforced concrete, and looks more like a bomb shelter, then a hospital ward that held up to 100 patients at one time.

Hillside building

Brookside Building