July 2012

Riverview questionnaires due July 31

From the local newspapers:
   Letters to the editor;
       Don't pave paradise
         Expand Riverview
               Make Riverview a place of higher learning
                   Public input vital for Riverview's future
                        Preserve Riverview as public land
                              Tear down Riverview buildings, build a university

Ongoing articles in The Tri-City News;
RIVERVIEW STORIES: Public tree walks continue at Riverview
RIVERVIEW STORIES: An historical timeline
RIVERVIEW STORIES: A grand plan, a grand place
RIVERVIEW STORIES: A trip though mental health care history
RIVERVIEW STORIES: A daughter's questions, a mother's hopes
RIVERVIEW STORIES: Nursing through the decades
        Interviews with Anna Tremere and Fred Bennett, both long-time staff members.
RIVERVIEW STORIES: Finding a family's history
RIVERVIEW STORIES: In the garden {an article about Finnie's Garden}

Editorial opinions in The Tri-City News:
       GOLDS: Recognition for Riverview is long overdue
    NELSON: Save Riverview site and help the mentally ill
        RADIA: Build on the Riverview Hospital lands
A letter in reply to Nelson and Radia:  Face to Face jousting informs and entertains reader

From The Now: Will university move to Riverview?; Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart hopes UBC, in particular, will open campus on site.  [ed. note: At one time Mary Hill was seriously looked at as the site for UBC, but it was deemed as to far from the population.]

From The Sun: Riverview gone but the battle against mental illness continues
  No one should cheer Riverview's closure
*******  Alzheimer's facility faces closure  *******
  Public input vital for Riverview's future
                   Shutting Riverview ignores the plight of the mentally ill

Riverview lands are part of a priceless heritage,  Foundation of caring now a masterpiece of history

From The Province: 
Hospital site draws plenty of interest; Riverview psychiatric facility set to close, with no decision yet on use for 'beautiful' grounds
 Editorial: No one should cheer Riverview’s closure; with a POLL on the page too!
      Letters to the Editor: Seniors care, traffic, Riverview, cycling, smokers

A dark day in health care in B.C. Riverview officially closes on Friday the 13th

Historic Riverview Hospital closes its doors for good on Friday

Some images that some of you may not have seen before;  Archival photos of Riverview Hospital

And be sure to comment into the ongoing Heritage Conservation Process, HCP at Riverviewvalues
This process in one of the only ways that the public will get to state their views about the site.

                     They are taking comments until the 31st of July.

A media release from MLA, Mike Farnworth:
       Comprehensive plan needed as Riverview closes, Farnworth says.

And now for something completely different: Farmer creates heart-shaped meadow in memory of wife
A devoted farmer created this touching heart-shaped meadow as a tribute to his late wife - by planting thousands of oak trees.  Have a look in Google Maps

CKNW's Bill Good interviews Coquitlam Councillor Craig Hodge about Riverview Hospital.

June 2012

 Finally! some more fuel for the fire from the Heritage Canada Foundation,
 Riverview Hospital is added to their Top-Ten-Endangered list.
 Also an article about this designation in the Tri-City News: Riverview on national endangered list
And The Now:  Heritage site on risk list; National group says Riverview is endangered

The Tri-City News is printing over the next few issues a piece they call, Riverview Stories (See the Front page, and pages 16 and 17.)

News Hour - Riverview at risk; Mon, Jul 2 - It has a history some would rather forget, but right now it's considered one of the most endangered sites in the country what's next for Riverview?

I just found some short videos on YouTube about the hospital from user:  RVH101 (Ron) have a peek.!
RVH101 is with the Friends of Riverview Hospital,
check out their Facebook page, it contains  Photos too!

 The long good-bye for Riverview
Friday, June 22 was the official closing day, and the bureaucrats had a party beside the HEY building, they invited present and previous staff members to attend, but the invitation did not extend to the thousands of volunteers who have freely given their time throughout the years. Classic Fail!
The Riverview Horticultural Centre Society, and other interest groups crashed this party, and we were bluntly told to stay out of the way, a frenzied paranoid staff member then made some calls, and the private police force ( Paladin ) sent in more members to deal with this non-conflict. Yikes!! Anarchists!

 Not welcome at this event

 Relegated to the hill overlooking the event

The Raging Greenies on YouTube!

 The Raging Greenies, underneath the HEY building dedication plaque, which reads:

Dedicated to community education

 The Raging Greenies singing a song

The Raging Greenies with Coquitlam-Maillardville, MLA, Diane Thorne serenading on the right.
Article from OpenFile about the Raging Greenies

The main event tent, could not hear a word spoken though.
But from what I could hear, everything has gone very well in the transition of the residents to other institutions; that is the official word anyway; the reality is much different.

On the same day an ex-patients wife visited and earlier in the day had received in the mail, these two letters.
A PDF transcription of both letters can be found HERE

 This lady wanted her husband to stay as long as possible in Valleyview but he was transferred a few years ago to Delta View; she now has to travel a much greater distance to see him.
 This is not the only example of the system failing to provide proper care.

In the HEY building classrooms, photos from the graduating classes of nurses were displayed.
Have a look at them and a few from my collection on my Graduating Nurses, Flickr Page.

Riverview on national endangered list? 

 Metro wants a say on Riverview lands

Patients still missing from Forensic
    Hospital completes first of two reviews and may soon issue more unescorted day passes.

The HCP is still continuing they need some feedback, visit their website; Riverviewvalues
A representative from this process came to the closing ceremony hoping to gather some information but was told NO. Our tax dollars at work!

Riverview Lands Community Values Workshop, 4-8pm, on May 23, 2012 (update)
Video created for Tri-Citys Magazine, by Ebby Mohseni

Sue Haberger and Norma Gillespie interview starts at: 2_27

Elaine Golds interview starts at: 8_52

Margaret McDairmid, Minister of Citizen Services, interview starts at: 25_4

Letters to editor:
Riverview should be saved
Save Riverview Hospital lands
 Time to reopen Valleyview
(Valleyview is the large building that is very close to the Lougheed Highway, designed for geriatric patients; being dismantled for its equipment as I write this.!)

Vancouver Archives, has recently updated their database and now provides much larger photos; have a peek at some using the search term Essondale, and more using the term Boys Industrial, ( A few of these are of the boys just prior to them coming to Coquitlam )

Missing from Colony Farm

A patient of the forensic facility at Colony Farm has gone missing.
Coquitlam RCMP seek missing Colony Farm patient
Coquitlam RCMP website: David Fomradas missing from Colony Farm
and a possible partial explanation for his absence, was printed in today's Province
Mentally ill carjacker likely stressed out by victims’ lawsuit

And another patient, Gregory Owen Schleen goes missing:
 Second patient escapes from Colony Farm

UPDATE: Both are still missing as of June 23.
Patients still missing from Forensic
  Hospital completes first of two reviews and may soon issue more unescorted day passes

Heritage Conservation Planning process

 UPDATE: After widespread condemnation over the very short time being given to the HCP process, the facilitators have relented and added two more "Drop-in Workshops", so that the public can comment.
Province adds two meeting dates to Riverview Hospital planning process

Myself along with over 38 concerned citizens went to the Riverview Lands Advisory Committee meeting on May 15, 2012, usually held in a committee room, but the Chair decided to adjourn to the Council chambers because of the large turnout.

     Chairman is Craig Hodge  and Vice-chair is Neal Nicholson  both were present.

Craig Hodge and Neal Nicholson had a tour last Friday of Riverview through some of the buildings with MLA, Doug Horne  facilitating this tour, since that was only way that they could do it.

Even though Riverview is in MLA, Diane Thorne's riding!

Two councilors were also present Linda Reimer, and Selina Robinson, along with Mayor, Richard Stewart. 

The main theme of this meeting was the presentation, launch of the 

Heritage Conservation Planning, (HCP) process by two Government employees, and Denise Cook a private contractor who won the $95,000 bid to facilitate the process, who mentioned that she and three others have been doing interviews since February!. This HCP will aid in the early stages of the proposed redevelopment process. They have created a webpage Riverviewvalues which also provides meeting dates, where the public can provide input, and an online questionnaire.

Greg Hamilton Real Estate Services of Shared Services, is ongoing in negotiating with First Nations, and other user groups.

He mentioned that at the present time it costs five to six million dollars per year to maintain the property.  Greg Hamilton also mentioned the the steam plant is problematic, and it provides heat for many of the larger buildings at this time. If they decide to shut down this plant the buildings will rapidly deteriorate.

This HCP is to be finished by September, a very short time indeed!

Heritage branch are not advocates, just facilitators. To aid in this process the Heritage branch spokeswoman recommended to read a Federal Government publication: Standards and Guidelines 
You can download it HERE (10.4 Mb. PDF)
Even though this publication does not follow the exact process the present Provincial government is using!
And also to peruse  Conservation Planning Methodology (503Kb. PDF) created by the Heritage Branch
She stressed the driving force is the social values of the site, and not necessarily the buildings, landscaping as it was in the past when designating heritage sites.

In aid of this process the facilitators have created a webpage: Riverviewvalues 

 where a questionnaire is provided soliciting input from YOU.
And a online workshop (which is supposed to be active on May 19)

   E-mail Riverview Values    (And tell them how to improve the process !)

The NOW newspaper reporting: 
Anger over heritage plan.  Meetings about Riverview too rushed: critics.
The NOW also has a poll on their front page. What should be the future of the Riverview Hospital site?
And the Tri-City News:  Not much notice for public input on Riverview, committee says
And essentially the same article from The Now has been reprinted in The Province; Anger over rushed consultations on future of Coquitlam's Riverview Hospital lands  with more pictures, and at least a person can post a comment there.

Further information

Riverview property updates
                 Initiatives
                  Site access
Shared Services facility manager for Riverview:
   Dale Shields phone:604-927-4003 cell: 604-315-5643  E-mail Dale Shields

May 2012

Yikes! The time has come to get out to any meetings that pertain to the site, and voice your concerns, (in some of them anyway!)

NEEDED! Could you be available on Tuesday, May 15 at 2 pm to help us convey a message to the government about the Riverview Lands?

There is a meeting of the Coquitlam City Riverview Lands Advisory Committee at  (2 - 4 pm), in the Committee Room at Coquitlam City Hall.  Representatives from the Provincial Government will attend to discuss their plans for Riverview after the hospital closes in July of this year. 
Meetings are open to members the public to observe but not to speak; but a large body count speaks volumes!.

Also;
Riverview Lands Heritage Conservation Planning
 
Public Drop-in Workshops
May 22, 2012 4:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.
The Outlet - Work Room, Port Coquitlam

May 23, 2012 4:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.
Executive Plaza Hotel - Aspen Room, Coquitlam

Open House
June 11, 2012 4:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.
Mabbett Room, Port Coquitlam Recreation Complex, Port Coquitlam

June 12, 2012 4:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.
Centennial Room, Coquitlam Recreation Centre, Coquitlam

These are being hosted by:
big think communications inc. ( Warning ! Java )