Guelph – The Homewood Health Centre here celebrates its 125th anniversary this year.
The home was the result of an evolution in the care of those who suffered mental illnesses in Canada and Ontario.
In the late 1800s, there was a great move forward in the care of the mentally ill in Canada. When Canada became a Dominion through the Confederation of 1867, much consideration was given to issues such as health care and the availability of care for the mentally ill.
Psychiatric facilities were greatly influenced by institutions overseas that were already providing enlightened and humanitarian care for patients with mental illness; however, many of Ontario’s psychiatric facilities remained primitive and custodial in nature, due to a lack of funding.
In 1883, two men recognized the need for a private psychiatric hospital that could better serve the people of Ontario. Those two men were John Woodburn Langmuir and Dr. Stephen Lett.
Langmuir worked as an Inspector of Prisons, Public Charities, and Asylums, and he sought to reform the governing philosophies of those institutions. He was inspired by the idea of a hospital service that was not tied to provincial funding, as that would allow for more freedom in the hospital’s activity and direction.
He enlisted financial support from friends and businessmen and began to search for a suitable Medical Superintendent who could manage the clinical side of the business.
For that role, Langmuir hired an aggressive and well-trained psychiatrist who shared his ideals. That man was Dr. Stephen Lett.
He was a renowned psychiatrist and specialist in the areas of morphine and alcohol addiction. He had worked at Ontario Asylums in London and Toronto, and his belief that addiction was a treatable health problem earned him much recognition. Together, Langmuir and Lett purchased the Guthrie estate in Guelph and The Homewood Retreat was officially founded on May 18, 1883. The Guthrie manor house was situated about a mile north of the centre this city.
Langmuir found it to be the ideal setting for The Homewood Retreat, because it was located outside the bustling city of Toronto, and yet it was near enough to be accessible by railway or road. It also satisfied his vision of a hospital set on therapeutic grounds; the estate was in a wooded setting on the hill, it was free from pollution, and it had a magnificent view. The 19-acre site also allowed for the expansion of the Guthrie home as the hospital grew.
Each employee was recognized as a part of the total treatment program in helping patients to heal.
On Dec. 27, 1883, the first patient was admitted to The Homewood Retreat. The official opening of the hospital took place in January of 1884 and at that time, accommodations could be made for 25 men and 25 women.
Langmuir and Lett were insightful, considering drug and alcohol dependency to be not only an issue of morality and legality, but also one of health and wellness. Lett also insisted that patient care was a collective responsibility. He recognized that employees who were satisfied in their work environment were able to provide more compassionate care for patients.
From the beginning, there was a sense of community among staff members. From food preparation and building maintenance through to the highest levels of medical and psychiatric care, each employee was recognized as a part of the total treatment program in helping patients to heal.
The founders
John Woodburn Langmuir was an idealist and a humanitarian. Born and raised in Scotland, he moved to Canada in 1849. At the age of 24, he became Mayor of Picton, where he was also a successful grain merchant and shipbuilder.
In 1868, Langmuir was appointed to the position of Inspector of Prisons and Public Charities for Ontario. After serving 14 years in that position, he found himself dissatisfied with the provision of care for the mentally disturbed and emotionally ill, and he conceived the idea of a private psychiatric hospital that could provide better care for the people of Ontario.
Langmuir was the founder of The Homewood Retreat and the first president of the corporation. He held the position of president for the first 32 years of Homewood’s existence.
He passed away in 1915 and was succeeded by F. C. Jarvis.
Dr. Stephen Lett served as Homewood’s first medical superintendent from 1883 to 1901. He considered alcohol and drug dependency to be a treatable health problem, and in 1888, he recognized addiction as a disease.
Lett’s 18-year tenure at Homewood covered a difficult period due to the sparse population of Ontario and the severe economic depression that occurred in the 1890s. During that time, he laid a firm foundation of enlightened psychiatric care at Homewood. A paper delivered by Lett to the American Psychiatric Association emphasized a policy of tactful nursing care and non-restraint of patients.
He also insisted that a sense of community should be promoted among staff members, which would allow for a more productive work environment and improved patient care.
From the beginning, the directors of the corporation encouraged Homewood clinicians to participate in professional gatherings and educational seminars outside of the Homewood community. Lett was involved in many matters in the world of medicine and psychiatry, and he delivered medical papers as far away as Montreal.
