In June 1890 a Reformatory Home for boys was opened on the North Hill, the Governor was John Sifton, father of Clifford Sifton, and it was known as the Brandon Reformatory, but in the first year, there was only one single resident, a 9-year-old boy sent there for stealing mail.
It became apparent that the expensive facility needed a new use, and authorities intimated that insanity was growing faster than juvenile crime.
To accommodate the transfer of an estimated forty persons from the Selkirk Asylum to the Brandon location, alterations were required. Staffs were hired: the Superintendent was Dr. Patterson, a General Physician who was making a special study of Insanity. The Physician in charge was Dr. Gordon Bell.
The former Governor of the Reformatory was transferred to Provincial Public Buildings, and Institutions as an Inspector. But by the end of 1891 the “House on the Hill” remained unoccupied.
Eventually the Brandon Asylum was opened: a report of 1893 states that amid sub-zero temperatures thirty six unfortunates arrived in Brandon to take up residence in the Asylum quarters. They had spent the previous night in a snow-marooned train outside of Portage la Prairie.
In an 1896 report by J. W. Sifton, he said that the Asylum contained one hundred and forty patients, half of them from the Territories. The adjoining farm produced an estimated one hundred tons of vegetables, root crops and corn silage.
In 1903 a sixty thousand dollar expansion was completed, and was continued the following year at a further cost of eighty thousand dollars.
This building was completely destroyed by a fire of unknown origin on November 4th 1910. Less than ten minutes after fire had been discovered in the central structure all six hundred, and forty-three inmates had been evacuated by the seventy-five staff members. The print of the day read: “Scores of raving maniacs left in squads, and hurried to a coral behind the buildings – men, women, and children. Horses and cattle were turned out so patients could be sheltered.”
It took every city Fire Fighter, and all their equipment to fight the fire, but for an hour, and a half the blaze continued. A number of public devotees assisted in removing from one wing such equipment, and records as were in easy reach. During this time thirty inmates had eluded their guardians.
Meanwhile leaping flames illuminated the night sky, and had attracted town’s people who arrived at the scene by car, carriage, and on foot. Telephone lines were filled to capacity by concerned citizens inquiring to civil officials as to weather there was a possibility of escaped patients invading their homes.
The concern somewhat abated after twenty-seven wandering souls were rounded up several hours afterwards.
The situation required speedy action, but Provincial Authorities had already advised Mayor Adolph that the Selkirk Institution was filled to capacity. Directors of the Winter Fair Board decided that accommodation in the large exhibition building would provide the necessary space for the care of the unfortunates from the Asylum on the Hill.
After the 643 patients had to be housed in other buildings on the grounds they then were walked to the old Brandon Arena where they stayed until December 1912.
There were still three patients at large and a concentrated search was put in place. The next day the quest narrowed, and a female body was discovered near the Experimental Farm. After a man was located near Kemnay the number of missing persons was reduced to one. He was found one week later roaming over the prairie west of Yorkton Saskatchewan.
The Parkland building was built on the site of the destroyed Asylum. In 1911, one hundred and seventy Asylum patients were returned to their Alberta origins in western Canada to be housed in recently prepared quarters at Ponoka.
In 1921 the west half of the Norwood Gardens Building was completed. The Nurses Residence built in 1922 and was occupied in 1923, it is the only building protected as a provincial Heritage site. It houses vintage murals, mosaic tile floors, and detailed woodcarvings. This building arguably has the most heritage significance of any of the main four buildings. This building overlooks the forested ravine that runs along First Street. The Nurses Residence was closed in 1998.
The Valleyview Building opened in 1925, the Pine Ridge Building in 1934, the east half of Norwood Gardens in 1935, and an extension to the northwest wing of the Parkland Building in 1949.
Names and descriptions change on a regular basis in Mental Health, and so did the name of this centre. At the start it was known as the Brandon Asylum, then it was called the Brandon Hospital for the Insane, then in 1919, the Brandon Hospital for Mental Diseases, and finally in 1972 the Brandon Mental Health Centre, commonly BMHC was used when mentioning it.
There were no graduate nurses working on the wards before 1920, but in 1923 the first Class of seven students graduated from the School of Nursing. Dr. C established this school. Ms. A. Barager was the first School of Psychiatry Nurse west of the Great Lakes, and arguably the whole of Canada.
Note: After the Asylum fire in 1910, a stranger visited Brandon. On his Business Card it said that he was J. U. Riopel, C.E. Inland Revenue, department of Mines. He said he was sent to superintend construction of the new Asylum. This man was given great respect after he ordered one million feet of lumber from one firm, rented fifty steam engines from another, invested in a fine house, the purchased a horse and rig, plus an expensive outfit of furs.
He paid for all his transactions by cheque on a Montreal Bank. In a news print story of the day it stated, “Riopel was wined and dined by highly respected citizens, and business men, grits, and Tories alike, while making extravagant purchases.” Finally a suspicious citizen wired an inquiry to Montreal. The reply came back “Cheques no good, beware of this man.” But it was too late, the Superintendent had already disappears never to be found again.
Source: Brandon a City. G. F. Barker.
http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/hrb/prov/p110.html
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/21/brandonasylumfire.shtml