Marching into April

A letter to the Vancouver Sun:  Keep Riverview for public use;  Showcase tree collection, set up B.C. centre of excellence for health care.

Article in the Sun:    Psychiatric ‘crisis’ leaves mentally ill in jail, documents say.  (overflowing for some time at the Forensic site )

Nice food for thought article in the North Shore Schizophrenia Society,(NSSS) newsletter:   Issue #133 March 2014.    Note:  the website also has a good selection of resource Links.

A night of history and hope
Nurse was killed in a hostage-taking at the old B.C. Penitentiary in 1975. I blogged before about it:
Mary Steinhauser Legacy fundraiser—An Evening of Story, Song & Dance, Sat., March 29, 2014 at 7:30pm, Terry Fox Theatre, Port Coquitlam.

A Confession  at the Georgia Strait:  Riverview Hospital    ( More of a rant really) I find it interesting that rants, attract more ranting in the comments, and that no real names are ever attributed.

Big bucks for Coquitlam byelection
      Where it is noted that Chris Wilson and  Bonita Zarrillo, received some monies for their war chests from, Brook Pooni Associates (consultants for Riverview Hospital’s redevelopment)

I would think that many would find this next link interesting for both providers and users.
HEALTHTALKONLINE is a database of hundreds of interviews with patients afflicted by various conditions, ranging from ethnic experiences in mental health to Alzheimer's to experiences with being a clinical trial subject to cancer. It also includes a section on youth experiences with illness.

Top two ambulance officials in B.C. quit following investigation into personnel issue (update).
Probably part of the reason why, ambulance personnel are frequently found using inadequate facilities.
At Riverview they  were in the Distribution centre / Pharmacy building, (they still appear to use a portion of the building )  but most of the time they utilize  Cottage 122


No mention yet about the Renewingrivierview  redevelopment process with the bizarre forum that they used Placespeak  (still having nightmares over that website, suddenly I and at least one other person that I know, had their names changed to anonymous, noticed a few others too, without our consent; can you say NSA ?  )

All the best, Anonymous    (I will wear it as a badge of honour )

Mary Steinhauser Legacy fundraiser

The Mary Steinhauser Legacy fundraiser—An Evening of Story, Song & Dance, Sat., March 29, 2014 at 7:30pm, Terry Fox Theatre, Port Coquitlam, BC, which celebrates the inspired life, work, and legacy of SFU alumna Mary Steinhauser (BA’71), nurse, social worker, and prisoner rights advocate. Mary died tragically in a blaze of gunfire in a 41-hour hostage-taking at the BC Penitentiary, New Westminster in June 1975. Her heroism and compassion in offering herself as principal hostage at this time is the stuff of legend. Proceeds to the Mary Steinhauser Memorial Bursary for SFU Aboriginal Students in Arts & Social Sciences. Tickets at the new  MarySteinhauser  website  Info     margaretfranz01(at)gmail.com
Mary did some of her training at Riverview

 

Mary Steinhauser fundraiser

The Tri-Cities NOW, page 13 Friday, December 6, 2013
      Jeremy_DEUTSCH  jdeutsch@thenownews.com 

 PoCo Resident organizes fundraiser

 

      Social worker Mary Steinhauser was killed in a botched hostage taking in 1975 at the old B.C. Penitentiary in New Westminster. Her sister, PoCo resident Margaret Franz, is publishing a book about Steinhauser. 

It’s time to rock and dance for a good cause.

A fundraiser for SFU’s Mary Steinhauser Memorial Bursary Fund will be happening Saturday Dec. 7) at the Russian Hall in Vancouver. 

The rock and blues show will include the bands Mercer Van Eyes, Mud Bay Blues Band and Jug head.

Steinhauser was killed during a botched hostage taking at the old B.C. Penitentiary in New Westminster in 1975.

The social worker trained as a nurse for two years at Essondale hospital or Riverview as it later became known, in the early 1960s.

Her sister, PoCo resident Margaret Franz, is in the process of publishing a book about Steinhauser, which she hopes to release to coincide with a fundraiser scheduled for March 29, 2014 at the Terry Fox Theatre in PoCo.

Doors for Saturday’s show in Vancouver open at 8 p.m. at the hail, located at 600 Campbell Ave.

Admission is a suggested $10 donation, with proceeds going to the Mary Steinhauser Memorial Bursary for SFU Aboriginal Undergraduate Students in the Arts & Social Sciences. 

 Blogged about Mary a few months ago HERE

 

Never forget

I vaguely remember the incident recalled in this article from the Coquitlam NOW;
  A story of compassion
        Poco woman keeps the legacy of her sister alive
Mary Steinhauser (25 Aug., 1942 -  d_cert. 11 June 1975)
Given name Maria Elizabeth Steinhauser was murdered at the British Columbia Penitentiary in 1975, she received two years of training at Riverview, and graduated as a RPN in 1962.
             Some fuzzy pics of this graduating class from my collection: one - two - three
A poor picture of Mary from the Registered Psychiatric Nurses class graduation  picture in 1962 from Riverview:

On the evening of Wednesday the 25th of April 1962 at Vincent Massey Junior High school auditorium in New Westminster, 92 women and 24 men graduated as psychiatric nurses.
They pledged all in unison:

      I do hereby pledge my wholehearted service to those entrusted to my care, endeavouring at all times to understand the patients individual emotional and physical needs and differences.
to that end I will strive for skill in the fulfilment of my duty holding sacred and inviolate all confidences entrusted to me.

      I promise to respect the personal rights and privileges of my patient and do all in my power to prevent of alleviate physical or psychological discomfort.
I will always be kind, tolerant and just. I will endeavour to cultivate a keen sense of observation and an understanding attitude.

      I acknowledge the dignity of my profession and accept the obligation it implies. I will faithfully perform my duties and will give the utmost in co-operation to those persons with  whom I associate in ministering to the mentally ill.

All of which I pledge on my sacred honor.

       The Province newspaper article about the events that caused her death.
Maria, graduated in 1971 from SFU, ( Remembered at SFU: Mary's Song ) with Ba of Arts, First class Honors,  living in Sechelt at the time, and in 1973 gained her Ma in Social Work, from UBC.  Her life was stolen from her.  News articles from the Sunshine Coast where Mary is mentioned in five of the six articles.

Father was August Steinhauser
Mother was  Johanna Henrietta Steinhauser nee.Reisner. both parents are now deceased.

Mary's sister Margaret (Steinhauser) Franz, is seeking any information, remembrances about her sister contact her via email     mfranz01(at)telus.net

UPDATE:  I recently Jan., 2014 found this forum thread   where some guards, staff, are remembering the times in 1975.    


“Mom” of the Downtown Eastside Bonnie Fournier dies
              Women’s advocate fought for rights of sex trade workers