Hi all, I often find records for people which indicate that the person died at Essondale. I thought it would helpful to include some information about the Hospital when I send the record to them. I live just above the Riverview Hospital, which is the modern name of Essondale Hospital. It is still in use these days, but with many fewer patients than before. Because it's an arboretum, it's a beautiful setting with many unusual trees. The property overlooks the Coquitlam River and Colony Farm (which used to be farmed by some of the patients and is now a Regional Park and also the site of a Forensic Psychiatric Institution). There is a garden on the Riverview grounds which was originally tended by patients. It has recently been restored. There are many of the older buildings which are now used mainly by film companies. Here are a couple of links I've found, although nothing with a detailed history of the hospital. I highly recommend a visit to the Riverview grounds, especially if you have a relative who was a resident there. You will be comforted to see that , no matter how they may have been burdened with mental illness, they were able to live in an area where there was great beauty. Hopefully, that helped bring some peace to them. Riverview Hospital (Essondale) Links http://www.tricitiesonline.com/riverview/gallery.htm photos of Riverview grounds http://www.urban-forestry.com/citytrees/v37n4a23.html description of the Riverview Arboretum “The Riverview lands are on a slope overlooking the Coquitlam River in Coquitlam, BC. They have become, through the course of nearly a century, a microcosm of British Columbia's natural and cultural history. In 1904, they were purchased by the provincial government and cleared of their ancient forest to create a hospital and haven for the mentally ill. Provincial Secretary, Henry Esson Young, envisioned a hospital as well as a provincial botanical garden on the site. Mr. Young had traveled extensively in England and Europe and brought the concept of the botanical garden from there. There were no botanical gardens anywhere in Canada at that time so the one he developed in BC was the first in Canada. He also initiated work on the nearby Colony Farm, which was to be a provincial experimental farm. Both the farm and the botanical garden were created to be adjuncts of a new provincial university. “ -- Pam Thomson in BC, Canada Researching Fairweather & Todrick mailto:pamthom@intergate.ca

Pam Thanks for the info on Riverview hospital. My great great grandmother died there in 1926. It is nice to see what the place looks like and find a bit of it's history. Marla in Revelstoke, BC

To add to the information that Pam has sent - the following is a picture of Essondale year ? http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/cgi-bin/www2i/.visual/img_med/dir_80/f_04732 .gif At 08:19 AM 10/8/01 -0700, Marla Manson wrote: >Pam >Thanks for the info on Riverview hospital. My great great grandmother died >there in 1926. It is nice to see what the place looks like and find a bit of >it's history. >Marla in Revelstoke, BC > > > > > > > >==== CAN-BRITISH-COLUMBIA Mailing List ==== >Every two months or so, please repost your interests, >telling us what you know and where you've looked >and what you still need to find out. >