Former Huronia Regional Centre residents to share their stories February 11

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH) will welcome four speakers to present a talk about the institutionalization experiences at the Huronia Regional Centre (HRC). The event will be held on Thursday, February 11 as part of the FSSH Public Lecture Series.

Background:

The Ontario government operated the HRC (previously known as the Hospital for Idiots and Imbeciles, and the Ontario Hospital School) in Orillia, Ontario from 1876 to 2009. It was established as a place to house people labeled as intellectually or developmentally disabled.

HRC was a ‘total institution’ – a term popularized by Canadian-American sociologist Erving Goffman his 1961 book Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates. As an isolated and enclosed establishment, it was designed to control most aspects of its residents’ lives.

Come hear the institutionalization stories of these HRC activists and survivors:

• Harold Dougall and Cindy Scott will speak about their efforts to advocate on behalf of the approximately 1,500 people buried in unmarked graves on HRC grounds.
• Patricia Seth and Marie Slark were key litigants in a multi-million dollar settlement against the Ontario government. They will speak about their experiences as children at the HRC.

Event details:

• When: Thursday, February 11 from noon to 2 p.m.
• Where: 61 Charles Street Building, Room 217

View the event poster.

The FSSH Public Lecture Series aims to inspire the intellectual exchange of ideas by inviting speakers to discuss important issues impacting our community, region and the world.

Media contact:

Patricia Pickett
Communications and Marketing
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
905.721.8668 ext. 6710
patricia.pickett@uoit.ca