Publications & Videos
Responding to Unmet Needs: 125 Years of Care in the Community
Two important health care milestones for Thunder Bay occurred in 2009 - the 125th anniversary of St. Joseph's General Hospital and the 30th anniversary of St. Joseph's Heritage.
Both institutions owe their origins and strengths to their founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie. The Sisters are a Catholic order dedicated to service in the community in the fields of health care, education and social work in general.
St. Joseph's General Hospital, founded in 1884, was the first of its kind in Northwestern Ontario and has undergone many transformations throughout its long history. St. Joseph's Heritage opened in 1979, and is an integrated care system that includes a long-term care home, an adult day program, supportive housing units and a community centre.
St. Joseph's Care Group was created in 1997 when these two institutions merged to become one. The history of St. Joseph's Care Group and most notably, the role transformation of St. Joseph's General Hospital, is told here by Peter Raffo. This story develops in the context of the significant changes that were taking place in the provision of health care in the province of Ontario.
Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital 1934-2004, From Institution to Community - A Transformation of Psychiatric Hospital Services
Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital 1934-2004, From Institution to Community - A Transformation of Psychiatric Hospital Services, tells the story of the origins and development of psychiatric care for the people of Northwestern Ontario, from 1934 to the present day. It is a narrative of change, of a remarkable transformation. In the 1930s, people with mental illness were, more likely than not, shut away in huge psychiatric institutions. Care for patients was custodial because of the lack of effective intervention. Today, they are increasingly integrated into the community, in decent housing, and with appropriate support systems, medial and social, available to them.
In Northwestern Ontario, this transformation has been mirrored through the history of what was once called the Ontario Hospital Fort William (later Port Arthur), then Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital, which is now a part of St. Joseph's Care Group.
The huge complex on Algoma Street once housed over one thousand patients. Its staff numbered nearly seven hundred. It was a 'village' that protected its residents from the outside world. Today, most of those who once would have lived within its walls are to be found out in the community, no less cared-for, but no longer shut away.
Tracing the history of this transformation, and relating it to politics of the Lakehead, as well as to changes in medical and psychiatric practice, Peter Raffo tells a story, not only of a local institution, but also of the provision of mental health care to the people of Ontario as a whole.
- From Institution to Community - A Transformation of Psychiatric Hospital Services
Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital (1934-2004)
Breaking Up With ED
St. Joseph's Care Group and Raija Begall partnered together to produce the book "Breaking Up With ED" which chronicled Raija's thoughts and emotions as she struggled to overcome a serious eating disorder ("ED"). The book was written to help increase teens' knowledge of eating disorders but anyone can benefit from reading though this powerful resource.
Accessibility
Hard copies or requests for accessible formats and/or communication supports are available upon request. Visit our accessibility page for more details.
-- Updated: October 16, 2024 --
