Misplaced Pages

#655344

77-598: The three-storey building, which once housed the Provincial Training School, has undergone many administrative changes since its construction in 1913. Located on the Michener hill in the city of Red Deer, Alberta, it originally housed the Alberta Ladies' College of Red Deer as one of Western Canada's finest residential college buildings at the time. In 1916, the provincial government converted

154-431: A balance between work, education, and play to develop to their highest potential; this became known as the workhouse model. It was standard practice to have teenage girls "spend their days scrubbing floors, making meals and dressing and changing the diapers of the severely disabled students ". Male students would be tasked with milking cows and other laborious tasks. In 1960 Le Vann had his most famous patient admitted to

231-563: A child begin to walk?," and, "How do you like it here?", guided the Board's 10-minute review of each case. Patients rarely had knowledge of the true purpose of the meetings; even on the day of their surgery, they were often only told that their appendix would be removed. Most would not discover what had been done to them at the PTS until years after leaving the school and, for some, the news came after several unsuccessful attempts to conceive. Initially,

308-493: A commission “to deal with the situation with respect to the college, which may have to be closed”. An Edmonton Bulletin notice of December 30, 1921, indicated that in January 1922, the college would open but only as a residence for girls studying elsewhere, with music being the only department that might remain. The College continued in this way (offering housing and some instruction such as music, art, and physical education) as

385-470: A comparison between two separate species. On the one hand, the graceful, intelligently curious, active young Homo sapiens, and on the other the gross, retarded, animalistic, early primate type individual. " Le Vann drafted his students for experiments in a controversial manner. There have been claims that state if a trainee did not adhere to his workhouse model or misbehaved they would be punished by being registered in an experimental drug trial. Furthermore, in

462-492: A new name and welcomed suggestions through July of that year. It was also noted that a new site for the college had been secured, but that construction would not commence until necessary funds had been raised. By August, 1919 the College had announced its new name - Westminster Ladies' College - and was advertising its fall term in its new location in the old Strathcona Hotel on Whyte Avenue. The 1920 closing ceremonies lauded

539-427: A normal functioning life in the larger society . The province's defence, Crown lawyer William Olthius, argued, however, that Muir's ability to "make it" since leaving the PTS is a sign of the school's "appropriate and high-quality curriculum of academic schooling, vocational training and life skills." Muir, however, claimed that she was poorly educated during her time at the PTS. As a means of controlling its residents,

616-514: A procedure which soon became customary at the school's hospital. While children were punished for even slight expression of sexuality, the PTS nevertheless accommodated the hetero- and homosexual abuse of its students by its staff members. Leilani Muir was a resident at PTS and was sterilized, without her consent, in 1959. In 1996, she won a lawsuit against the province of Alberta for wrongfully admitting her and sterilizing her against her will, and that her life after PTS has proven her ability to live

693-599: A resident would land in a Time-Out Room after an unsuccessful attempt to flee the school, at which time staff ensured public awareness through wailing sirens and intrusive ward searches. The dehumanizing effect of the Time-Out Rooms allowed staff to handle residents with derogatory and senseless conduct, ultimately depriving them of their human rights and dignity. Time-Out Rooms served as a powerful method of "physical and psychological, reactive and proactive control". From 1949 until 1974, American-born Leonard Jan Le Vann

770-499: A separate hospital. This idealistic establishment appealed to even Alberta's most prestigious families, including ex- Premier of Alberta , Ernest Manning , who enrolled his eldest son, Keith, at the school. After the passing of the Sexual Sterilization Act of Alberta (SSAA) in 1928, the Provincial Training School (PTS) oversaw and performed the sterilizations of over 2,800 persons to improve society by preventing

847-404: A small window. Lacking access to a proper toilet, residents in time-out rooms were forced to relieve themselves on the floor where a drain was installed. Inmates were usually stripped naked during their time in the time-out rooms to avert their potential self-harm. Only at night would a mattress be laid on the ground for inmates to rest on. Some were debilitated with straitjackets. Most frequently,

SECTION 10

#1732794317656

924-494: A very strict work environment in which no personnel spoke to their supervisors, unless spoken to. During the 1960s, Le Vann "ran the institution almost...like a Gestapo," a former PTS psychologist remembers. It was later revealed that Le Vann had kept several significant secrets. In 1995, 8 years after his death, it was found that the medical director never actually obtained accreditation to practice psychiatry. His first wife also discovered that, in order to disguise his Jewish descent,

1001-498: The Canadian Medical Association Journal in 1953 entitled "A Clinical Survey of Alcoholics". In this CMAJ paper he discussed the social implications of alcoholism, and shared his view stating that the government should have more strict regulations on alcoholic beverages including a safe dosage epilogue. Le Vann also describes the two types of alcoholics, primary and reactive. According to his study,

1078-1039: The Ethical Culture School in New York. In 1939 he was accepted into the Junior House Surgeon program at the Royal Informatory, in Edinburgh, Scotland. His studies were briefly interrupted when he joined the Spanish Civil War as an anesthetist. Once he returned from the war he became a Junior House Surgeon, Royal Infirmary for the department of Neurosurgery in Edinburgh. He completed his training in 1943 and graduated from Lincentiate Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh. Upon graduating, Le Vann performed one year of general practice in England during WWII at which time he

1155-583: The 1917-1918 and 1918-1919 terms. The benefits of being located on the University campus were clearly laid out for potential students and their families: "Besides the benefit of coming into an educational atmosphere, our students will have the privilege of attending University lectures and other functions". At the May 1, 1919 meeting of the Presbyterian Synod, Rev. Keith indicated that the College

1232-464: The 1950s, a psychologist, Laughlin Taylor, "discovered that Le Vann was threatening children with sterilization if they did not behave. " Le Vann also ran the school with favouritism; in 1960 when premier of Alberta, Ernest Manning admitted his son Keith into the facility, he was "showered with privileges ". These included getting to pick his own roommate for his special double room while everyone else

1309-646: The Board which consented the procedure included Margaret Thompson, one of the leading medical geneticist in Canada at the time. While the name of the facility implies a school for 'mental defectives', many of those admitted to the Provincial Training School (PTS) were orphaned or simply unwanted by their families. Consequently, many admitted students were socially awkward as a result of deficiencies in certain social skills. Often, high-functioning children stemming from abrasive families were admitted due to misdiagnosis. Furthermore, such unnecessary admissions were exacerbated by

1386-452: The Board, which ultimately approved it 30 times. In his private research, Le Vann studied spermatogenesis in the testicles of boys with Down's syndrome . To supply his research with tissue samples, the medical director ordered not only vasectomies but also orchidectomies of males with Down's syndrome. This practice was carried out although it was already known within the medical community at the time that males with Trisomy 21 are sterile. Also,

1463-748: The Centre out by gradually moving residents into other private or not-for-profit facilities on up to its scheduled completion and final closing date in April 2014. Despite its history, the closing of Michener Centre has become very controversial in that current public perception of the centre is quite positive due to its more recent history of providing quality care for residents with very severe psychological and developmental needs. 52°16′23″N 113°47′16″W  /  52.27296°N 113.7879°W  / 52.27296; -113.7879 Alberta Ladies%27 College of Red Deer Alberta Ladies' College of Red Deer

1540-441: The College announced “Brookfield Butter Week”, a chance for residents of Edmonton to support the College through the purchase of Brookfield Creamery Butter at one of 300 participating Edmonton retailers. A large advertisement for the fundraising campaign was included in the 1921 University of Alberta yearbook Evergreen and Gold . These fundraising campaigns focused on money for college buildings, but also for an endowment to secure

1617-471: The College continued to focus on the future and raise awareness and funds for building and other infrastructure. These drives emphasized the value of the College and noted its recognition as a “force for good”. The 1921 commencement was held on May 20. In July of that year, the College asked the City for tax relief on the property it had purchased for its future building, which was granted. In October, 1921

SECTION 20

#1732794317656

1694-568: The College's future and to provide support for students in need. Goals ranged from $ 225,000 to $ 500,000. A piece in the Edmonton Bulletin in April, 1921 included plans for the College grounds as well as an architectural concept for the main campus building. These were perhaps signs of worsening financial struggles. On October 27, 1921, Rev. Keith resigned as principal, and the Alberta Presbyterian Synod named

1771-422: The Edmonton Bulletin noted that the college moved “lock, stock and barrel” from Red Deer to Edmonton in one week, and was looking forward to its new location and close relationship with the University of Alberta. On October 31, the College staff and students held a reception in their new home for the University and Edmonton community to get a "glimpse into the daily life of Red Deer Ladies' College". The report of

1848-472: The Leilani Muir trial. First, it was discovered that he was never fully accredited as a psychiatrist in Canada or England. This is very shocking as it was said that during his twenty-five year reign he almost always would refer a child with a mental deficiency for sterilization, even when the child's IQ greatly exceeded seventy, the legal upper cut off for sterilization. It was as though the child's fate

1925-480: The Mayor, given at the annual meeting of the rate-payers of the City of Red Deer on 1 December 1916, noted that the City had offered the College suitable land on which to build a new building, but that the offer was turned down. The move to Edmonton was initially meant to be one year while a determination of the final and permanent home for the College was considered, with "offers and proposals from cities and towns within

2002-702: The Michener Center) from 1949 to 1974. Although he was born and raised in the United States, Le Vann trained as a physician in Scotland. Throughout his career Le Vann wrote many articles, most of which were published during his 25-year career at the Provincial Training School , covering a broad range of topics including alcoholism, schizophrenia and experimental treatments of antipsychotic drugs . In 1974 Le Vann resigned from

2079-436: The Michener centre supports 274 adults by "providing an impressive range of recreational, social, residential, spiritual and health services." As superintendent of the Provincial Training School , Le Vann was a key player in many sterilizations and antipsychotic drug experiments that took place during the 1950s and 1960s. Little was known about his methods and procedures at the Provincial Training School until they surfaced at

2156-429: The PTS expanded its function to include occupational therapy and vocational training, which was meant to serve as stepping-stones for the residents' integration into the larger community. In the 1950s, the PTS claimed to centre its efforts on "increasing the trainee's independence," and in the 1960s, on "resident training". The view of the school as "humane, well run, evolving as attitudes towards feeble-mindedness evolved,"

2233-508: The PTS, were rejected has raised questions about the integrity of the assessments and decision-makers alike. Because of the Board's enduring trust in the superintendent's judgement, many individuals who did not meet the formal criteria for sterilization were nonetheless rendered infertile. Among those targeted were children with both subpar IQs (<70) and IQs highly exceeding the upper limit of 703, those with physical or mental disorders and those ailed by heritable disease. Other traits targeted by

2310-436: The Provincial Training School (PTS) utilized much dreaded Time-Out Rooms. Each of the dormitories at the PTS featured a room in the direct line of sight of staff and residents. Bare, concrete walls and heavy, locked doors, with only a tiny orifice for food delivery, enclosed the empty cellars. The Rooms contained one-way mirrors, through which the incarcerated individual could be monitored by both staff and residents, and sometimes

2387-408: The Provincial Training School (PTS) was conceived as a residential school, aiming to enable the "academic, vocational and personal development of retarded children and young adults". It allowed developmentally disabled children to live apart from psychiatrically diagnosed children, and provided the parents of these children respite of the daily struggles of raising children with special needs. Before

Provincial Training School - Misplaced Pages Continue

2464-420: The Provincial Training School. The premier of Alberta, Ernest Manning , entrusted the well-being of his son Keith to Le Vann. Le Vann provided excellent service to the premier's son, providing him with a special double room and the use of a typewriter. Le Vann was the superintendent of the Provincial Training School for twenty-five years. He did, however, break his tenure in 1951 for a ten-month period where he

2541-555: The Westminster Residence for Girls for several years. This was done until 1924, and perhaps until the building was sold back to private investors in 1928. Although the College was under the control of the Presbyterian Synod of Alberta, the teaching was non-sectarian. As the only institution of its kind on the prairies at the time, it drew students of numerous denominations and from many communities, large and small. According to Rev. Keith, “thoroughness in education,

2618-591: The army; they filled the air with the sound of piano-practising". The College was impacted by the 1918-1919 flu epidemic, with the students and staff "masked and quarantined -- no contact with the outside world". But "through careful supervision and preventive measures, [it] practically escaped the first severe outbreak", and was "able to continue its classes throughout the [fall 1918] session without interruption". Although several staff and students did fall ill in 1919, there were no fatalities. The College continued its mission from its Assiniboia Hall location through

2695-419: The character of its discipline, and Christian education” were the three pillars of the College. “It is the aim of the College to give the students a substantial and well-ordered education such as will fit them for the duties and responsibilities of life and enable them to take their places in the domestic, social, intellectual and religious life of their communities”. The College offered the same curriculum as

2772-463: The children as his "personal guinea pigs". When he was conducting his experiments on the effectiveness of different antipsychotic drugs he never obtained any consent from parents or guardians. No one was informed about what was going on during the trials. Another unethical routine that surfaced from the trial of Leilani Muir was that he would routinely castrate male "Mongols" (males with Down Syndrome) even though these children were already sterile. During

2849-507: The college into a psychiatric hospital for shell-shocked soldiers. It was not until 1923 that the facility saw the inception of the Provincial Training School for Mental Defectives, which would serve as a care facility for mentally disabled people until 1973. Today, it functions as Alberta Health Services Administration Building the rest of the buildings function as PDD Michener Services residential care facility for persons with developmental disabilities and currently has 123 residents. In 1923,

2926-509: The concluding ceremonies of the second year, held in June 1914, described the growth and popularity of the College and spoke of its promise for the future. Despite apparent success, by 1916 the College was running into financial difficulties. In May 1916, the Presbyterian Synod of Alberta passed a resolution allowing the College to sell the building and land to the Alberta government. The sale

3003-420: The effectiveness of drugs such as chlordiazepoxide , chlorpromazine, haperidol, trifluperidol , and trifluoperazine dihyrochloride. In his 1959 article Trifluoperazine Dihyrochloride: an effective tranquillizing agent for behavioural abnormalities in defective children, Le Vann treated 33 patients. These consisted of "14 idiots , 14 imbeciles and two morons ". All of these patients had responded negatively to

3080-611: The enactment of the SSAA. Board members persistently searched the province for prospective subjects, and thus frequently found themselves visiting the PTS. Whether or not an individual was suited for sterilization was decided by a panel of 4 people (2 medical professionals and 2 laypeople13), formed by the Alberta Eugenics Board, who presented patients with a single psychological test. Answers to this informal, interview-style test, including questions, such as, "At what age does

3157-577: The eugenic procedure were ethnic minority and poverty, as well as criminal behaviour, alcoholism and promiscuity. Women, eastern European immigrants, First Nations people, and Catholics represented a disproportionate number of those sterilized at the PTS. The Eugenics Board never stopped to question the individuals' backgrounds or why Le Vann fought for their sterilization. As far as policy -makers and -enforcers were concerned, all of these groups had one thing in common: they were "a menace to society". L. J. Le Vann presented an even more peculiar type of case to

Provincial Training School - Misplaced Pages Continue

3234-788: The genetic transmission of undesirable traits as well as to protect unfit individuals from the burdens of parenthood. Other Albertan facilities that also performed similar procedures were the Alberta Hospital in Ponoka and the Oliver Mental Hospital in Edmonton. To assess persons' eligibility for sterilization, the Alberta government created the Alberta Eugenics Board , headed by University of Alberta psychologist, John M. MacEachran , one year after

3311-775: The junior and senior courses of the public and high schools in the province at the time, which included subjects such as English, history, mathematics, etc. In addition, it offered: various arts courses, including music (voice, piano, violin, theory, organ), art (china painting, oil painting, drawing, water colours), drama and elocution, leather work and wood carving, basketry, and interpretative reading; household sciences, including cooking, fancy and plain sewing, and baking; nursing and sanitation; scripture; gymnasium (folk dancing, Swedish exercises, drill, various sports); and commercial (typewriting, stenography, shorthand, spelling, penmanship, bookkeeping, rapid calculation, office system). The College had numerous principals, many of them given

3388-480: The man had undergone a name-change at a young age. The PTS witnessed a drastic increase (500%) in the number of residents between its initiation in 1923 and 1959, at which time the school housed around 1,400 children. As oversight of the school became obscured, the PTS sought to expand its employee base. However, because most psychologists dreaded working in a mental institution, the PTS's efforts to recruit qualified staff faced numerous shortcomings. It did not help that

3465-498: The name to Westminster Ladies' College. As early as 1907 discussions around the establishment of a ladies college in Alberta were well underway, with Rev. J.C. Herdman of Calgary a key advocate. Several locations seemed to be in the running, at least at the start: Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, and later Red Deer and several others. In July 1910 a meeting of the committee of the Presbyterian Church of Alberta

3542-479: The nurses and stored a variety of information. This information ranged from bowel movements to the student's interest in the opposite sex. He also had a rule at the ward, that "no nurse, attendant, or matron was permitted to speak to a superior unless spoken to ". This was the way that he ran his school, as an authoritarian. During the years that Le Vann Worked at the school, he published a number of documents ranging over many topics. The majority of his work, however,

3619-441: The opening of the PTS, Alberta's mentally disabled children that were not living with their families were usually grouped with psychiatric patients in care facilities as far away as Brandon, Manitoba . At its founding, the PTS was viewed as a progressive step for Canadians because it focused on segregating the "mentally retarded from the mentally ill," and was claimed to support the shift "from incarceration to education". In due time,

3696-525: The previously administered antipsychotic drugs. The experiment was administered over an eight-week period where he recorded the behaviours of the subjects that had been given the Trifluoperazine Dihyrochloride. The results showed that almost all the patients had reduced abnormal behavior and in some cases, the subject was completely controlled. Le Vann published another article based on the number of congenital malformations between

3773-429: The primary alcoholic is more likely to respond to group therapy. In contrast, the reactive alcoholic responds best to individual sessions. Furthermore, the reactive alcoholic is more likely to commit suicide when administered therapeutic drugs such as Disulfiram . Finally, Le Vann claimed that cultures with strong father figures are less likely to resort to alcohol and to lead a life of alcoholism. Le Vann also researched

3850-480: The procedure required consent from the patient or from a parent or guardian, but this pre-requisite was repeatedly ignored after 1937. Sometimes, authorization forms, required for surgeries to be carried out, were signed by officials before any assessments had been conducted. The fact that only a handful of the nearly 900 cases presented to the Eugenics Board by Leonard Jan Le Vann , medical superintendent of

3927-536: The province" welcomed. Lilias Milne, an alumna of the College, reminisced in a 1985 issue of New Trail (the University of Alberta alumni magazine) about her days at the College in Assiniboia Hall. “The north wing was residence for staff and students. The ground floor had an infirmary and music practice rooms, [while] the second floor had sitting rooms for staff and students. The centre of the building held suites occupied by University professors. The dining room

SECTION 50

#1732794317656

4004-567: The school was situated in Red Deer, a prairie town of around 30, 000, where the number of skilled applicants was minuscule. In these times of desperation, Le Vann once hired someone with no professional experience to fill the position of head psychologist. This person was responsible for the IQ tests that were part of the assessment protocol for admission to the school. The resulting, arbitrary procedure caused numerous able-minded children to be admitted to

4081-460: The school's non-standardized admissions procedures, including mandatory IQ tests that were insensitive to some patients' abusive upbringing or other relevant socio-economic factors. In the school, residents were divided among different wards corresponding to 'hierarchies of disability'. The more capable children were quickly put to work by the school's superintendent, L. J. Le Vann. 'High-grade' teenage girls scrubbed floors, prepared meals, and dressed

4158-587: The school. An ex-employee of the PTS revealed, "Your qualification was grade twelve and they hired just about anybody, as long as they didn't have a criminal record". Le Vann even went so far as to endorse admitting high-functioning children in order to exploit their abilities as forced labour. In 2013 the Provincial Government announced the closing of the Michener Centre due to provincial budget constraints. The government intends to phase

4235-538: The severely disabled, while the boys tended to farmland and milked cows. A former resident, Donald Passey, personally recalled the physical disciplining by staff members at the school. He was once slapped and punched while held up against the wall; even severely impaired children sometimes suffered physical abuse. Glen Sinclair, also an ex-student at the PTS, described his role at the school as the subject of constant observation. He and his dorm-mates were denied all privacy and prohibited any outside access without consent - even

4312-462: The success of the term, including the benefits of their new location, and looked forward to a future move into a dedicated building on newly purchased land. They thanked The University for allowing them the continued use of Convocation Hall, and the "C.PR., Know Church, and the South Side rink" for the basketba, skating, and tennis facilities. Throughout 1920 and 1921, Rev. Keith and others with

4389-531: The title 'lady principal', over the years. They were: Mrs. Jean Muldrew (1912-1917), Miss M.G. Millar (1917-1918), Miss Sara M. McBride (1918-1919), Miss Ada A. Wilkie (1920-1922), Rev. William Simons (1922), Rev. M.H. Wilson. Leonard Jan Le Vann Leonard Jan Le Vann (1 August 1915 – 29 September 1987) was the medical superintendent at the Alberta Provincial Training School for Mental Defectives (also known as

4466-532: The training center after the Government of Alberta repealed the Sexual Sterilization Act . Concerns over how he ran the school were part of the Leilani Muir trial that took place in 1995. Although Le Vann was already deceased at the time of the trial, his name was brought to the court's attention on many occasions. Le Vann was originally an American citizen, and completed his undergraduate degree at

4543-532: The trial, it was discovered that he and Dr. Thompson were conducting experiments on the testicular tissue of the Down syndrome males. Furthermore, it was stated that Le Vann showed very little compassion toward the children. During the trial, a quote that he wrote in the American Journal of Mental Deficiency was produced. It stated, "The comparison between the normal child and the idiot might almost be

4620-423: The windows only opened six inches wide3. Any attempts at rebellion such as refusal to eat, sleep, wake or work, or even sexual expression, resulted in brutal punishment. This included corporeal beatings, incarceration in Time-Out Rooms, and even enrolment in drug experiments with potent tranquilizers, such as Phenobarbital, chlorpromazine, and haloperidol. L. J. Le Vann often threatened misbehaviour with sterilization,

4697-454: The years 1959–1961. He suggested in his article that there is an increase in the amount of defective births and that pregnant women should take "drugs" as a way to lower the incident rate. The review of the article found there to be no correlation between the radioactive fallout and the number of birth defects. Secondly, the article points out that Le Vann never indicated what a "drug" qualified as. Finally, Adler illustrates that this seemed to be

SECTION 60

#1732794317656

4774-543: Was a training and boarding school for girls and young women founded in 1910 and originally located in Red Deer , Alberta , Canada . Within a few years of its founding, the College temporarily relocated to Assiniboia Hall on the campus of the University of Alberta and divested itself of its building and assets in Red Deer. In 1921, the College petitioned the government to amend the act that had established it to change

4851-513: Was also on the first floor, [while] a trunk storage room and a small laundry were on the ground floor. The second floor had classrooms, the third floor was the commercial department, [and] Convocation Hall was the scene of our gym displays and prize-giving”. University of Alberta alumnus R.K. Gordon reminisced about this time: "When the 196th [Battalion] moved out of Assiniboia, the Red Deer Ladies' College moved in. They were no quieter than

4928-598: Was approved by the Alberta Eugenics Board the school would use a number of different techniques to sterilize the child; the most popular were bilateral salpingectomy and oophorectomies for female students and vasectomies and castration for male students. Le Vann conduct experiments on the effectiveness of different antipsychotic drugs while at the school. He experimented with compounds such as " trifluoperazine (Le Vann 1959), thioridazine (Le Vann 1961), trifluperidol (Le Vann 1968) and haloperidol and chlorpromazine . " Le Vann also believed that for children required

5005-590: Was awarded a medal for bravery. In 1944, Le Vann moved to Essex, England where he began to practice psychiatry as a postgraduate student. Le Vann held a position at Sevealls Mental hospital in Colchester, Essex, UK for four years before moving on to a new endeavor. In 1948, Le Vann moved to Canada and began to practice psychiatry at the Brandon Mental Hospital in Manitoba. Finally, in 1949 he

5082-447: Was complete in early 1913, students and instructors moved into the new space, with the official opening celebration held on April 1. That same year (1913), the College was formally enacted through legislation. The closing ceremonies for that first year were held on June 18 and 19, 1913, with a dramatic production, demonstrations of physical activities and cookery skills, as well as the usual speeches and awarding of honors. A report of

5159-538: Was completed that same month. The College's final closing ceremonies in Red Deer were held on June 16, 1916. In July 1916 the Board of the College confirmed the decision to move to Edmonton. An advertisement in the August 16, 1916 edition of the Grain Growers Guide stated that the College was “now located in Assiniboia Hall, University Building, Edmonton, Alberta”. An article in a September 1916 issue of

5236-502: Was focused on the antipsychotic drugs. In 1953 Le Vann published an article that discussed odor and its negative implications within mental institutions and mental hospitals. In the article he discusses how using a water-soluble chlorophyll derivative has proved to be effective in reducing the odor in the wards. He hoped that by reducing the odor at these facilities there would be an improved rate of recruitment and retention of medical professionals. Le Vann published another article in

5313-404: Was forced to sleep four to a room. He was also free to keep games and a typewriter in his room, along with other small luxuries that the other trainees were not allowed. Finally, the way he managed the school was with great attention to detail. He believed in structure, whether it was a proper way of making the beds in the wards to recording detailed notes on each student. These notes were kept by

5390-463: Was held in Red Deer and selected Red Deer as the location of the future college. By August of that year, they had secured the services of Rev. N.D. Keith of Ontario to head the college, and by fall of that year fundraising efforts had been started and nearly $ 5,000 raised Keith and others traveled Alberta soliciting support and donations for the school. At a stop in Claresholm in 1911, the College

5467-493: Was hired as the medical superintendent for the Provincial Training School. As superintendent of the Provincial Training School Le Vann's duties were to manage the school, perform psychological analysis and operate when other professionals were not available. Another major responsibility was to evaluate students who were put forward as candidates for sterilization. Once a sterilization request

5544-510: Was noted as offering the “full public school and collegiate courses”, including household science, music, art, typing, and stenography. Construction of the College building began in 1911 and was completed in 1913. The first term of instruction was in September 1912 even though the building was not yet complete. During that period, classes were held in a local private home, and the students housed in local residences. As soon as construction

5621-464: Was once again on the move, as the University of Alberta would need Assiniboia Hall back for the fall term in expectation of high enrollment of soldiers returning from the First World War . He noted that the old Strathcona Hotel in Edmonton had been leased for five years, and that some minor renovations were underway in preparation for the fall term. He also noted that the College was looking for

5698-402: Was sealed before the day of their trial. Another frightening claim that has been made is that the school never informed the trainees that they were being sterilized. Instead, the Provincial Training School would often lie and tell them that their appendix had to be removed which required surgery. In addition, Le Vann also utilized his power at the school to carry out his own experiments using

5775-588: Was the Clinical Director of Western State Hospital in Kentucky, USA. In 1971, the newly-elected Conservative party of Alberta repealed the Sexual Sterilization Act . This had an immense impact on the school, "closing wards and tearing down dorms". Le Vann resigned from the facility in 1974. The old Provincial Training School was eventually closed and renamed the Michener Center. As of 2009

5852-483: Was the medical superintendent of the Provincial Training School (PTS). Upon arriving at the school, Le Vann took on positions both in surgery and psychiatry, which enabled him to assess students as well as perform operations when necessary. Past PTS staff recalled his meticulous attention to detail, especially in delegating their tasks. Le Vann ordered nurses to maintain extensive reports on everything from children's bowel movements to their sexual interests. He also commanded

5929-410: Was upheld by Albertans throughout the span of its operation. However, rising population figures indicated that most residents of the PTS did not, in fact, return to their communities. To the greater Red Deer community, the PTS served as its chief employer and enriched the local community with its own farm and opulent gardens. The school featured state-of-the-art classrooms, a chain of dormitories, and even

#655344