Bittersweet Friends

I have driven by Riverview Hospital countless times throughout my life. The front building is a lurking, menacing structure looming over the highway. Behind are a ton of smaller satellite buildings scattered around the humongous grounds. Up until around the 80’s I think it was a fully functioning city for the mentally ill – with things like bakeries, laundromats, auditorium, dentist – to name just a few. When the Canadian Government decided to cut back it seriously damaged the ability to run such a huge place and half of it was shut down, boarded up, and left largely empty except to film creepy horror movies and the X-Files.

Some may consider shooting through fences a hinderence, but I think it adds to the photo sometimes.

I decided a couple of months ago that I really needed a new photo adventure. Being that there are *zero* abandoned buildings anywhere in the city (that I’ve found anyway, that don’t involve scary drug addicts and squatters) I thought wandering around Riverview may be almost as good. It was a huge process, involving me first going there, being reprimanded by a security guard and told I wasn’t allowed to take pictures without permission, trying to figure out WHO I needed to get permission from (thank you google), writing to ask for it, being sent paperwork, filling out the paperwork, faxing it back, being sent MORE paperwork, printing it out – there, all set! Seriously, the ins and outs of government red tape blows my mind. I guess it keeps more people in jobs (and with the economy so terrible right now, jobs for people are a good thing) but it’s frustrating nonetheless.

It was worth it though, and despite it being insanely hot I was able to get about 420 photos. Some of the buildings are incredible – I only wish that I could have gotten into the interior. I’m sure that will be the next project in which to fill out 300 pages of paperwork. And I also think that will end up costing me some money. I unfortunately wasn’t able to photograph the 1 building I wanted (the front one) because they were filming a movie there – I would say there must have been at least 20 trailers. The grounds are gorgeous, and apparently there is something like 1200 species of trees there. A botanists dream, really. I was hoping for more dark and dirty, but it’s still an operating hospital in certain buildings, so I suppose it can’t get too overrun. Most of the paperwork I filled out had to do with not taking photos of patients and staff, which is totally understandable. I always try to be respectful where ever I go – particularly in abandoned places. Leave no trace, and disturb nothing. Mental illness is such a debilitating sickness to have, and so I felt even more humble and quiet while wandering. During the 50’s I think it was a lot more horrible – my great grandmother was in one of the more strict wards because she suffered from “dementia”. God knows what that means, but my mom has told me how awful it was visiting her.

Overall I was pleased with it. It was a good way to spend a Monday afternoon. I still have about 10 days if I want to go back. The security guards are EVERYWHERE, and I was asked by at least 4 different people about showing my permit). I feel like I got a good representation of what it is there. If there is a day where it’s stormy, but bright (photographers you know what I mean) I may go back. Bright and sunny hardly conveys the serious nature of the institution.

Onward and upward to new places. I feel like I’m going to have to start expanding my photo interests to broader subjects… the disintegrating places are becoming more few and far between.