For Mental Health Month this year, the team at the Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive Centre has developed a series of resources and events designed to directly address the stigma that surrounds the history of the hospital. Our ultimate aim is to challenge the conversation around mental health care and mental health experiences. Descriptions and details on how to tune in are listed below.
Social Media Campaign: #TheStoryUnfolds
#TheStoryUnfolds is a new month-long social media campaign that returns the voices of the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital to the nineteenth century buildings that still stand on the grounds to this day. The original words of former patients, staff, and families emerge from the archive to revive the realities of the institutional era and challenge us to rethink how we view mental health today.
When? New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
How to tune in? Follow on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook: @LakeshoreGrnds
"Tours" in 15 seconds or less: #TidbitTours
Nadine and Alex are back for another month of #TidbitTours - our weekly 15-second mini tours on Instagram Stories. This October, they're tackling the myths and misconceptions about the history of the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital with #TidbitTourist, Jennifer.
Have a questions about the history of the Hospital you've always wanted to ask? Send a DM on your social media platform of choice to @LakeshoreGrnds. We'll answer anonymously weekly on #TidbitTours.
When? Every Thursday
How to tune in? Follow on Instagram Stories (@LakeshoreGrnds)
Live Virtual Event: Shocks & Surgery: The Case of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital
Based on the widely successful 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the 2020 Netflix series Ratched has recently brought the “horrors” of mid-twentieth century mental health institutionalization back into the public’s awareness. Shock therapy, lobotomies, and confinement are among the most commonly portrayed mental health treatments in popular media - and yet they are also the most misunderstood.
Join Drs. Brianne M. Collins and Jennifer L. Bazar as they contrast these popular portrayals with the experiences at the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital - an institution which led the adoption of shock therapies and psychosurgery when they first arrived in Ontario.
When? Wednesday, October 21 from 7 to 8 p.m.
How to tune in? RSVP to receive the event link. The event will be hosted on Zoom. Join by computer or phone.
New Video: History of the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital
We're missing our monthly Tunnel Tours so we decided to create the next best thing: a video "tour" that features the history of the former Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital.
When? Anytime!
How to tune in? Watch on our YouTube channel. We also have an audio version and written transcript available on the Hospital History Project.
Bonus! Our team is available to facilitate in-class (virtual) discussions and to assist with assignment support. Connect with us by email at info@lakeshoregrounds.ca.
