Submitted by the Muskoka Family Network
The Muskoka Family Network is pleased to be part of a provincial project, the Uncovering the People’s History Project.
On April 8, members of the Muskoka Family Network, community members, people with disabilities and their families joined representatives from Family Alliance Ontario to begin to work on this project.
As the result of the historical settlement of the class action lawsuits brought forward by survivors of Huronia, Rideau and Southwest Regional Centres against the Province of Ontario, some of the remaining funds were allocated by the Superior Court of Ontario to provide one-time allocations to fund projects in order to help survivors to tell their stories, to capture the history of institutionalization, and learn from this history so we do not repeat it.
Uncovering the People’s History provides the opportunity for institutional survivors and families to share their stories, to honour their history, and learn more about what life was like for them living within the institutional walls. As we have begun to have conversations with people, discoveries and uncovering of histories is occurring right before us.
This historic project sees Family Alliance Ontario (FAO) joining with Family Networks from across Ontario to organize community gatherings. We invite survivors and their families to share their experiences. While the large institutions are closed, institutional practices which control, and harm people still exist. This project will bring forth the inherent dangers of the institutional model of care that people continue to experience today.
A travelling educational exhibit will be developed to share the stories of survivors and families with the general public. It will be displayed in libraries, schools, museums, etc.
Family Alliance Ontario is an autonomous, not-for-profit alliance of families and people with disabilities who offer knowledge, tools and networking opportunities to families, people with disabilities and friends. Its mission is to assist people with disabilities and families in realizing a vision that includes valued relationships, choice and control over their lives, meaningful contribution and participation in their community through valued social roles, personal social integration and valued social participation. For over 20 years Family Alliance Ontario has been supporting local family networks to bring people together in order to create positive social change.
If you are a survivor, a family member of a survivor or know of someone who wants to tell their story, please contact:
Carla O’Neill
Muskoka Family Network
Telephone: 705-783-3012
Email: [email protected]
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Although it is true that “warehousing” is an inappropriate method to apply to persons with mental health disabilities; it is patently unfair to tar all institutions with the same brush. I have found that the worse ones have been weeded out over the last several decades. On the other hand, however, the conscientious ones (with high standards and caring staff) have survived. Personally, I was a resident for about a month at Waypoint, several years ago. The biggest risk I ever encountered was from other inmates: the first night I was there, my roommate set his bed on fire in the middle of the night. Overall, my experience was overwhelmingly positive.