Recounting Huronia Community Archive

Items

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  Touring Harold's Room at the HRC

  An audio clip of Harold Dougall speaking with Alex Tigchelaar as they tour Harold's room as a resident at HRC. Harold explains that the walls of his old bedroom had been painted and curtains put on the windows. Harold explains that there were 16 residents in one room at the HRC and expresses that he feels angry when people spread 'bullshit' about the HRC being a decent place that has fallen into disrepair. Harold responds with the fact that there were not even bathrooms near residents' bedrooms,
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  Touring the Dining Room

  An audio clip of site visit discussions while touring HRC's two dining rooms. Harold Dougall describes his feeling the presence of a former resident that was murdered in the dining room. SIte security is heard rushing visitors through their tours. Harold describes HRC teachers as 'the screws'.
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  Working in the Laundry Room

  An audio clip of site visit discussions. Harold Dougall describes working in the laundry room while institutionalized at the HRC and explains the deep loneliness experienced by HRC residents due to being isolated from their families.
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  Walking Through the HRC Bedrooms

  Harold Dougall, a former HRC resident, walk through HRC bedrooms during the final site visit. Harold recalls HRC residents being forced to scrub floors with a toothbrush they were made to use after. He explained that HRC residents were sad and lonely, there was nothing to do in the resident's rooms, no television, and sitting all day. Residents remained inside at all times and dorms were separated by female and male genders. Harold explains that the Orillia community wanted HRC residents contained and institutionalized and that the HRC resident's parents did not want the responsibility of caring for children with disabilities.
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  Site Visit Discussions with Harold Dougall, Former Residents and Staff

  Former residents of the Huronia Regional Centre discuss their institutional experiences while visiting the former site.
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  Resident Bathrooms as Space of Abuse

  An audio clip of site visitors discussing the daily washing practices of HRC residents and the resident bathrooms as spaces of abuse. Cold showers, for example, were used as a form of punishment. The group goes on to discuss physical abuse of HRC residents, by other residents, staff, and supervisors. HRC medical and administrative departments buried injury and incident reports. Harold explains that he personally saw another resident beaten to death while institutionalized at the HRC. Survivors remember signing affidavits after witnessing staff murder a resident who was being punished. HRC staff intimidated residents, particularly in light of the HRC cemetery located on the institutions' grounds. Sadly, there is no justice for survivors and their families because no one is held accountable for the irreparable harm of institutionalization. Harold describes himself as a spokesperson because, "people don't talk about the damage, they did damage".
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  Institutional Neglect

  An audio clip of site visitors discussing the dirty state of resident bathrooms at the HRC, that HRC doctors and teachers lived in apartments on each floor, the presence of an assault room and the use of isolation tactics, and bars on windows. One former resident describes stealing candy from an HRC teacher while a former HRC staff member reports that a single doctor was responsible for the care of 20 HRC residents. Another site visitor noted the HRC population being 2600 in 1960.
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  Touring the HRC Main Floor with Harold

  An audio clip of Harold Dougall, and other site visitors discussing survivors' experiences at the HRC while touring the site. Harold describes HRC staff identifying residents by number or surname.
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  Huronia Regional Centre Cemetery Conversations

  An audio recording taken at the Huronia Regional Centre cemetery. Site visitors and survivors discuss the headstones in the cemetery and survivors' personal experiences at the institution. The recording also documents site visitors' and survivors' prayers and song that concluded their last visit to the the Huronia Regional Centre.
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  The Class Action Lawsuit

  An audio clip of Jay Dolmage and David Houston discussing the HRC class action lawsuit while touring the HRC site.
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  Touring the HRC Kitchen and Tramways

  An audio clip of site visitors walking through the HRC kitchen space discussing the presence of security that controlled access to different areas of the HRC campus. Carrieanne Ford describes the emotional impact of returning to the HRC. Site security explains the tunnel system, or tramway, that sits below the entire HRC site. David Houston describes his experiences as a runaway child that used the tunnels to escape. Other topics of discussion include organizing an HRC reunion, and overcrowding at the HRC.