Riverview Hospital Coquitlam BC

Join us as we explore abandoned areas of Riverview Hospital (formerly Essondale Hospital), in Coquitlam, British Columbia. It’s a former mental health and addiction facility dating back well over a hundred years. The site has a slightly unsettling feel about it and the buildings here are frequently featured in horror films. It’s also a destination for history buffs and those with paranormal interests.

The facility seems okay with people walking about the exterior of any disused buildings and the well-tended grounds where they’re situated. Taking photos is also acceptable and it’s a popular place in that regard. We saw many folks with cameras in hand.

Everything in use, however, should be considered off-limits for the patients’ privacy and respect. We spoke in depth on this with security guards patrolling the property and they said as long as the rules are followed you’ll be fine. They shared some history and told us where we could go and spoke of places to avoid. It’s a big, big site and almost like a self contained town. In fact, it operated like that for much of its history.

Over two days, and accompanied by some slow moving friends, we explored Riverview. They did their thing and us, ours, and once in a while we’d check in with each other and then go our respective ways. We’re talking about our friends Rob and Arturo, who shoot vintage film cameras with rather lengthy set up times. Talking ten or fifteen minutes in some cases, or more. For some unexplained reason we all hang out together even if the equipment used differs greatly.

As a group we were out on the Vancouver Island and the Coast jamming in as much exploring as was humanly possible in the short week or so we had. Sleep would come later.

On site…

As we walked the grounds of Riverview, we tried to understand its purpose and function as best we could. To think about its forgotten past. The stories of patients and what became of them…the staff too…we tried to include them all in these thoughts. No doubt, it’s a sad story for most, and we do this so they’re not forgotten. Even if we don’t know who they are.

The grounds are beautiful (especially in the fall, like on our visit) and the buildings have a grand quality, but for us at least, not as sinister in feel as the abandoned “asylum” horror movie clichés might suggest. Still, there’s a definite air of sadness and a palpable sense of being in a place, that if ghosts were to exist, it would be here. Not malevolent spirits, but of long lost souls yearning to find peace.

Riverview dates back over a hundred years and has treated tens of thousands of patients. Many were long term, or folks who lived out their lives here, and this brings us to a personal connection. It’s Chris here writing this piece, and the patient list includes a family member I never knew – a grandfather who died while I was still a toddler and is buried in the attached cemetery.

A lifetime chronic alcoholic, he drank himself into a stupor and had to be institutionalized the final year or so of his life. It turned out to be a kind of a bittersweet moment standing there, and our first, albeit posthumous meeting. If it as done before he left this earth, it was too early in this life to recall. It’s hard what to feel here, given he’s a stranger in that regard, but at least he found peace.

A little general history…

Rather than try and do a complete story of Riverview/Essodale we’ll touch on the individual buildings explored by us, in a rather random order, and share a few general tidbits along the way. The story of the site is just too big for hacks like us to attempt and we defer to those more in the know and with greater focus.

Riverview dates to the 1910s and is located along a large chunk of land inside Coquitlam British Columbia (in the Lower Mainland and east of Vancouver). It served as a mental health facility from the start and over the years greatly expanded upon. Originally called Essondale (after an early administrator, Henry Esson Young), it became Riverview after amalgamating with a second hospital on the same property.

In early papers, it’s also called The Hospital for the Mind. At the time it was “Recognized as a model of psychiatric health care, Riverview was one of the most progressive asylums in North America.” – HistoricPlaces.ca.

The complex grew to such a size that it became almost a town unto itself and in many ways was self sufficient. There was a bus station, a church and amenities like a bowling alley, cinema and sports fields. A farm down on the flats provided food and income.

The vacant buildings seen today are now often used as filming locations. Shows like Supernatural and movies like Deadpool 2…the list is huge.

Some parts of the Riverview property, including a couple new buildings, are used as a Native healing centre now (Red Fish Healing Centre for Mental Health and Addiction). The rest, including what we’ll show you here, is sort of in limbo, with no clear plan what to do with all the surplus structures and land. Many of the buildings are historically significant, even the story of those institutionalized within their walls is a touch sad.

Mental health was not well understood in the old days and treatment was sometimes questionable. The future of the site is a bit of a political hot potato as a result.

The tour…

Centre Lawn (images #1 and #6): Opened in 1924 as the Acute Psychopathic Unit and given its current name in 1950. As you’ll see, this structure, along with the East Lawn and West Lawn buildings are all similar architecturally.

Like the others, Central Lawn is of reinforced concrete sheathed in brick and the three together are in a campus arrangement. So it’s like many larger learning institutions, with lots of open spaces and greenery. This building closed in the early 2010s but still kept up.

There’s a fair number of barred-windows on this building (+ on others a well) and these were to prevent escape. They do make it feel almost like a prison and perhaps to some patients it truly was. There’s a real menacing nature to it all.

Psychopathic: “Characterized by or exhibiting unstable and aggressive or obsessive behaviour.” – Google. Also: “A mentally unstable person, especially one having an egocentric and antisocial personality marked by a lack of remorse for one’s actions, an absence of empathy for others, and often criminal tendencies.” – Mirriam-Webster.

West Lawn (images #2, #3, #5, and #10): Opened in 1913 as the Male Chronic building, it’s the oldest structure here and a bit run down. The name change came in 1950, and the building closed in the early 1980s. Unlike other empty structures here, which seem to have power, this one is dark and feels truly abandoned.

It’s the creepiest structure on the property and as a result it’s a target for the urbex explorers looking to gain entry. By our own accounts it’s the most heavily watched building too, probably because of this, and we noticed patrols passed by with a greater frequency than elsewhere on the grounds. The only marks from vandals we saw was on the West Lawn building and all others appeared untouched.

Where as you can go right up to other buildings here, West Lawn has a fence surround it and only the main steps left accessible.

It seems to be the most popular place for those with cameras too. Where as we saw few of these folks elsewhere on the Riverview grounds, they all seemed to congregate here.

That we visited a day or two before Halloween probably had a little do with this and and we witnessed an endless parade of people in costume stopping by. It’s that time of year so why not have a creepy asylum (West Lawn) as a backdrop?

We agree it has a scary factor greater than the other building here and has a pronounced sinister vibe that we earlier downplayed. Those big entry doors (looking almost like a blast shield) flanked by massive pillars and the dark woods that surround the property, make it a bit unsettling.

It’s like something out of a horror/thriller flick, so we’ll eat our words when speaking of West Lawn.

“(Riverview was) home to 340 patients — all male — who were suffering from some form of insanity. At the time, the affliction was thought to be hereditary or caused by intemperance, syphilis and masturbation.” – Vancouver Sun. That last one also causes blindness and hairy palms too. Our understanding of things is better now.

Penn or Pennigton Hall (image #4): Named after Dr Pennington and in recognition of his contributions to mental health care in the province. The venue opened in 1950 and functioned as a social hub for hospital complex. There were halls for concerts, shows and plays. The building also housed a movie theatre, café and bowling alley. This was likely the happiest place in Riverview, but it’s all quiet now.

East Lawn (images #7, #8, and #23): Opened as the Female Chronic Building in 1930 as an all female unit, it underwent the name change in 1950.

The structure is the biggest of the Lawn buildings and is massive. They built it to combat overcrowding at the a separate facility elsewhere in the Lower Mainland. Overcrowding at Essondale/Riverview, in all wards, went on to become a problem here a well, and old papers speak of it often. That sort of chaotic environment can’t be good for people suffering from metal afflictions.

The East Lawn building also became a training centre for female nurses.

A date-stone on the front wall reads: “This stone was laid by Hon. SF Tolmie, VS PC, Premier of the Province of British Columbia, Nov 5th, 1929.” This building closed in 2005.

East Lawn was the site of an interesting experiment in 1973 called “pub therapy”, to see if social interactions could help certain patients. They used real alcoholic beverages (beer) and hosted musicians, but the project didn’t seem to last long. By this point, East Lawn had evolved into many specialized wards and was not all female as it had been in the past.

Error (being worked on)…

Henry Haigh (image #32): Birth – April 9th 1911, Sweden. Death – January 6th 1969 at Riverview Hospital, Coquitlam, BC and at age 57. Occupation – (sometimes) Upholsterer. Residence – Sophia Street, Vancouver, BC. Marital status – divorced. In Essondale – 1 year and 11 months. In Canada: 39 years. Burial – January 10th 1969 at Provincial Cemetery, Riverview Hospital, Essondale (Coquitlam), BC.

Know more (new tab): Riverview Hospital Coquitlam British Columbia.

They’re saying…

“Chris and Connie have a unique way of documenting the places they visit, not copying the style or technique of others, but making it their own.” Alex Craig, Filmmaker.

Random British Columbia…
Union Bay (Vancouver Island) Coal Wharf.
Highway History (BC): the Garbage Gobbler.
Windsor Hotel Trout Lake.
Craigellachie Kid.

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Date of adventure: October 2023.
Location: Coquitlam, BC.
Article references and thanks: Rob & Arturo, City of Coquitlam & City of Coquitlam Archives, HistoricPlaces.ca, FindaGrave.com, British Columbia Mental Health & Addiction Services (RIVERVIEW HOSPITAL: A Legacy of Care & Compassion), plus the Royal BC Museum.

1) Centre Lawn at Riverview Hospital Coquitlam BC.

2) West Lawn is the oldest structure here.

3) West Lawn with a broader view.

4) Penn/Pennington Hall.

5) West Lawn, upper floors.

6) Centre Lawn is a majestic building.

7) East Lawn is a big one.

8) East Lawn front view.

9) We visited Riverview Hospital on a lovely late fall day.

10) West Lawn is in rougher shape than the rest.

11) The old fire hall was torn down soon after our visit.

12) A popular a site for photoshoots.

13) The siren at the fire hall.

14) Finnie’s Garden.

15) Finnie’s is a peaceful place.

16) Note the barred windows.

17) Everything is kept up, yet buildings in this area are unused.

18) The Crease Clinic.

19) Through a broken pane.

20) The whole site is often used as a movie set.

21) It’s easy to get lost in the moment here.

22) Another photoshoot but this one includes a friend.

23) Laid November, 1929.

24) So many coves and hidden spots.

25) These stairs…go up!

26) A different take and a suspicious character.

27) The Crease Clinic Cafeteria.

28) North Lawn is one of the newer buildings.

29) Formerly a busy place, but now quiet and empty.

30) The backside of North Lawn is stark and cold.

31) Dogwood Building.

32) The grandfather Chris never knew.