Riverview Hospital Lands

Riverview Hospital Lands
Rich Heritage and Valued Future
The Riverview Hospital Lands are a priority for
our community, and City Council and staff will
continue to work closely with residents and other
stakeholders who share an interest in the future
of Riverview. The City of Coquitlam is proud to
host this critical mental health care facility, and
shares the community’s interest in preserving the
beautiful landscapes and arboretum. By working
together, there are tremendous opportunities to
create a future plan for Riverview that reflects
the interests and priorities of local residents and
community groups from across the region.
May 2008
1
“Coquitlam’s Riverview Task Force worked closely with stakeholders in
the community and the surrounding area, and their input is reflected in
the recommendations in the report, For the Future of Riverview.”
Riverview
Hospital Lands
Over 100 years ago, the
Riverview Lands were set
aside to be a sanctuary
and residential treatment
facility for the mentally
ill, and to be the site for
The Riverview Hospital Lands are valued by Coquitlam and the community as the
home to the province’s primary mental health care facility, as a heritage site, as a
treasured botanical garden, arboretum and sanctuary, and as an opportunity for
economic development.
From its earliest days as a residential treatment facility, the Riverview Hospital
Lands have been a sanctuary for patients and a valued botanical showcase for
the region. When Riverview was selected as the site of the first botanical garden
in Western Canada, it set the stage for the magnificent park and world-class
arboretum that today attracts the community and visitors who treasure this
beautiful natural habitat. Riverview also has great significance in the history of
health care in British Columbia. The architecture of the main building, the old
arboretum, Finnie’s Garden and the cemetery all hold great historic significance
for the community and the province.
a provincial botanical
garden. Today, Riverview
is the home of historic
buildings and a beautiful
arboretum with unique
trees and plants enjoyed
by the community.
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May 2008
“Coquitlam is proud to host this
valued mental health care facility in
our community and would like to
see the mandate expanded to build
on their expertise in research.”
Report Recommendations
In its report – For the Future of Riverview – the Task
Force also developed a list of recommendations to help
support the priorities and vision for Riverview.
Coquitlam’s support for a mental health care facility
The Riverview Hospital Lands have been home to a
mental health care hospital and treatment facility focussed on patients with mental illness. The hospital has
also become a centre for mental health care research
and education. The arboretum and beautiful botanical setting add to the peaceful sanctuary for residents.
It is important to maintain and enhance these services at Riverview Hospital and to ensure that Riverview
remains a centre of excellence for mental health and
wellness.
Maintain and enhance research, education and
innovation
The Forensic Psychiatric Services and Riverview
Hospital have a long history of collaboration and cooperation with academic institutions in BC, particularly with the University of British Columbia and Simon
Fraser University. The research that takes place at
Riverview is internationally recognized and it is important to continue to support and promote these research programs.
Critical to preserve botanical garden, arboretum,
sanctuary and park area
The trees on the Riverview Hospital Lands are unique
in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest and are
considered by some to be the best collection of trees in
Canada. The value of the individual trees is estimated at
more than $50 million, but the age, variety and condition
of the collection as a whole make the collection worth
much more. The site also has unlimited potential as a
Horticultural Centre and Provincial Botanical Garden. It
is also important to preserve and enhance the natural
habitat areas and streams to protect wildlife habitat
and corridors and restore wetlands.
Opportunities for economic development
Riverview Hospital Lands are the most filmed location
in Canada, with filming currently taking place in the
Crease Building and adjoining cafeteria building. There
are opportunities to expand on existing film opportunities and leverage other strengths on the Riverview
Lands. There is also potential for other economic development opportunities, including promoting eco-tourism and the arboretum, as well as potential tourism
related to the development of a museum at the site.
For the Future of Riverview –
A Shared Community Vision
The City of Coquitlam and stakeholders in the community
share an interested in preserving the historic and natural
assets on the Riverview Hospital Lands while also promoting
its strengths as a centre of excellence for mental health and
wellness. In 2003, City Council formed the Riverview Task Force
with community stakeholders to develop a community vision
for the future uses of the Riverview Lands. Together with the
community, the Task Force developed a comprehensive report,
For the Future of Riverview, which was completed in 2005 and
unanimously endorsed by Coquitlam City Council. The report is
based on extensive consultation in the community and focuses
on three key priorities:
™™ The land should remain publicly owned to provide a
sanctuary and residential treatment facility for people with
mental illness;
™™ The heritage buildings, landscapes, and arboretum should
be protected and preserved; and
™™ Market housing is not an option that is supported by the
City of Coquitlam.
May 2008
3
“The Riverview Lands are extremely important to our community and
to the region. Coquitlam is committed to working with the provincial
government and the community to decide the future of Riverview.”
Historic Value of Riverview –
Addition to Community Heritage Register
The Riverview Hospital Lands are valued
for their historic significance, beautiful
and unique landscaping, and their important place in the community. Following
consultations with key community stakeholders and the preparation of a statement
of significance report by a professional
heritage planning consultant, Council approved the addition of Riverview to the
City of Coquitlam’s Community Heritage
Register in January 2008. The statement
of significance report identified five key
heritage values for the Riverview Lands,
including therapeutic integration of buildings and landscape, a strong sense of
community, architecture, ecology, and innovations in mental health. Early in its history Riverview was recognized as a model
of psychiatric health care and was noted as
one of the most progressive mental health
care facilities in North America.
Key elements that define the heritage
character of Riverview include:
™™ Continuous use as a psychiatric
hospital, represented by a unique
collection of buildings, landscaping
and infrastructure developed over
a century as a mental health care
facility;
™™ Outstanding collection of architecture
that supported a self-sufficient
mental health care community,
including massive masonry structures
grouped around a lawn setting
and several other institutional,
recreational, service and residential
buildings;
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May 2008
™™ Elements of historic infrastructure
including early road alignments and
access roads;
™™ Beautiful landscaping, including a
collection of significant heritage
trees, as well as Finnie’s Garden, and
portions of the former provincial
nursery; and
™™ Ecological features including natural
meadows, watercourses, wildlife
trails, salmon spawning areas and
ravines.
The addition of the Riverview Hospital
Lands to the register will help inform the
community of the site’s heritage value
and help the City integrate heritage conservation into community planning while
enhancing community sustainability. In
addition, the Task Force report calls for
the preservation of heritage artifacts, including the Centre Lawn, and highlights
the potential to create a world class destination featuring a Museum of Museums
that showcases the region’s diverse history, heritage and culture.
A copy of the Riverview statement of
significance and Council’s resolution was
sent to the Provincial Heritage Branch
to add the site to the British Columbia
Register of Historic Places. Copies of these
documents were also sent to the Federal
Government for consideration to add the
Riverview Lands to the Canadian Register
of Historic Places and possibly designate it
as one of Canada’s National Historic sites.