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 somewhat unsettling feel about it and the buildings are frequently featured in horror films for that reason. It’s also a destination for history buffs and those with paranormal interests.

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

Respect the privacy of patients and avoid in use sections of Riverview. We spoke in depth on this with security guards patrolling the property and they said we’d be fine if we followed that simple rule. They shared some history and told us where we could go and of places to avoid. It’s a big complex 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 back 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. They might take ten or fifteen minutes in some cases, or more, to get one shot. 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. We need to remember them all, even if we know not of their names.

The grounds are beautiful (especially in the fall, like on our visit) and the buildings have a grand quality, For us at least it’s 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 to the 1910s and has treated tens of thousands of patients. Many were long term and some lived out their lives and died here. 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 then 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 to know what to feel here, given he’s a stranger in that regard, but still it had to be done.

A little general history…

Rather than try and do the complete story of Riverview/Essodale we’ll touch on the individual buildings explored by us. We’ll do so in a rather random, almost chaotic order (that’s our style), 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 with the proper skills.

Riverview is on a large chunk of land in the city of 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.

It’s sometimes called the Hospital for the Mind in early papers. They were held in high regard for their procedures and methods. “Riverview was one of the most progressive asylums in North America.” – HistoricPlaces.ca.

The complex grew to such a size that it became 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.

Production companies often use the vacant buildings as filming locations. Shows like Supernatural and movies like Deadpool 2…the list is huge. The Canadian Register of Historic Places recognized Riverview Hospital in 2009.

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 always well understood in the old days and treatment 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 is 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 buildings with this feature.

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 the most 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. On official maps it’s listed as condemned.

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 were on the West Lawn building and all others seemed untouched.

Where as you can go right up to other buildings here, West Lawn has a fence surrounding it and only the main steps were left accessible. What secrets does it hold?

It seems to be the most popular spot 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 for a photo?

We agree it has a scary factor greater than the other buildings 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. 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. It opened in 1950 and functioned as a social hub for the 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 before.

A gorgeous fall day (images #9 and #16): A call back home confirmed it was snowing good, but out here on the coast, we enjoyed warm weather and clear skies. If not for the turning leaves you’d never even know it was this late in the season. To bask in the sun at the end of October, for someone used to cooler weather at this time of year back home, is simply amazing.

Fire Hall (images #11 and #13): The hospital had its own dedicated fire department, housed in this building, but it was demolished soon after our visit. It looked in bad shape and perhaps had some structural issues. The old siren was still in place and when it went off the entire complex knew it.

Photoshoots (images #12 and #22): Given it was close to Halloween meant there was a steady stream of people dropping by, often in costume, for photo ops. Some dressed up their dogs and our friend Arturo obliged by shooting a few on his cameras. West Lawn, being the spookiest of all the buildings here, was busiest. It’s the perfect backdrop if the theme is something scary.

Finnie’s Garden (images #14 and #15): It started in the early 1950s and is on the hill above West Lawn. All of Riverview is on a slope and the well-treed land terraced to accommodate buildings on various levels. Created by one Art Finnie, a nurse at the hospital, the gardens were not just a place of solitude, but also used for horticultural therapy by patients. Keeping active is often beneficial for mental health.

“The idea was that patients would be able to enjoy being outdoors in a beautiful setting and the satisfaction of working in the garden.” – Riverview Hospital: A Legacy of Care & Compassion.

We are legend (image #17): It’s strange to walk the property. Everything looks as though in use and while maintained, it’s all empty. One thinks back to the post apocalypse novel I am Legend (and subsequent movies, including Omega Man and the Last Man on Earth).

In the story, everyone on the planet dies due a virulent disease and this leaves behind a world devoid of people, save for one, but with infrastructure intact. That’s the feeling here and it’s like you’re the last soul on the planet. Minus those nasty vampires folks – some who caught the bug became mutants of the night.

Crease Clinic (images #18-#21): Opened in 1949 and named in honour of Dr Arthur Crease, it heralded a new approach to mental health. “Housing 325 patients, Crease Clinic was a treatment and teaching centre for people suffering from the early symptoms of mental illness. The focus was on recovery and rehabilitation within a few months, rather than long-term hospitalization.” – Riverview Hospital: A Legacy of Care & Compassion.

The Crease Clinic (officially Crease Clinic of Psychological Medicine) was state of the art for the time and notable for its unique approach. Patients were volunteers and could leave at will.

The building, in an earlier, smaller incarnation, opened in the 1930s for the treatment of war veterans with post stress disorders, but greatly expanded upon in the 1940s. It’s of concrete, rugged brick of varying shades, terra-cotta blocks and artificial stonework.

The Crease Clinic operated separate from Essondale initially, but the two amalgamated in 1965 and the the entire site renamed Riverview. The building was last a hospital in the early 1990s, but used for filming ever since. Inside and out. The list of productions shot here is huge and includes the X-Files, Flash, Stargate SG1, Deadpool, Watchmen, Supernatural, plus many more.

A broken window affords a look inside. The view is of a big empty, but tidy, room. It’s likely the whole building is similarly devoid of contents. It’s a giant structure and one’s mind wanders while exploring its many facets. Who were the people and what became of them? Mental health is so stigmatized (albeit it’s getting better), so misunderstood and this was the front lines. Right here on this spot. If in the early stages of mental illness you came to the Crease Clinic.

Lost in Riverview (image #24): There’s so many nooks and crannies to explore. It looks used and is so intact, yet it’s so empty.

They go up! (image #25): Roads and walkways connect the many sections of Riverview. We wandered the site thoroughly, and saw many stairs that needed climbing. Feet in motion and let’s explore what’s up there.

Walking about Riverview is a good workout too and the GPS track looked like spaghetti. Total cumulative distance and elevation: 4.5km and 200-ish metres respectively.

Seldom photographed (image #26): Like Sasquatch. Images of either of us are rare and if we appear in a photo, it’s usually in the distance or we’re somehow obscured. Once it while, there’s a face shot, but mostly it’s something like this. See the photographer there in the mirror? That’s usually the view of us.

Crease Clinic Cafeteria (image #28): It’s a separate building but built in the same style. We kind of like this style of 1930s and 1940s architecture.

North Lawn (images #29-#30): The building opened in 1955 for the treatment of Essondale patients suffering from Tuberculosis, but later used for mental health purposes. It closed in 2007.

All those barred windows makes it look so ominous and uninviting. The back side is even more cold and stark than the front.

The Dogwood Building (image #31): In older maps the Dogwood Credit Union called it home, but now it’s empty. Everything beyond here in the Riverview complex seems in use, so we ventured no further.

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.

Thanks for tagging along and joining us on this little tour. We hope to be back some day and get to know Riverview Hospital a little more. It’s historically interesting, has amazing architecture, and beautiful grounds, but we keep thinking back to that family connection. It’s a though that won’t go away.

Till next time…

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

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Random British Columbia…
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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 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) Riverview in reflection.

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.