Re: Report recommends saving Woodlands building (NewsLeader web site, June 16)

As President of the BC Association for Community Living (BCACL), I am troubled by the City of New Westminster’s staff report that recommends restoration of the tower at the Woodlands Centre Block as part of a residential development. As a provincial federation that works to enhance the lives of people developmental disabilities, BCACL is firmly opposed to the restoration of the Woodlands Centre Block.

We call on the mayor and city council of New Westminster to acknowledge the abuse suffered by those who spent time at Woodlands. The building cannot be put forward as a source of civic, historical or architectural pride but rather must be recognized as a place that denied the most basic human rights of thousands of people.

The report’s frequent use of the term “allegations” and “reports” of abuse is insulting to those who vividly remember the traumatic years they spent at Woodlands. It is also inaccurate, as various research reports have found historical evidence of systemic abuse and a culture of silence at Woodlands. The use of the word “patients” is also inaccurate. The majority of those who lived at Woodlands were not there because they needed medical care but rather because they had disabilities.

We are proud that B.C. was one of the first provinces in Canada to close all of its large institutions for people with developmental disabilities. British Columbians were the pioneers of the community living movement, holding dear the universal principle of dignity and justice for all persons. The City of New Westminster, as B.C.’s oldest city, should be especially proud.

Since the closure of institutions, people with disabilities have been speaking up for their rights, having their voices heard in communities. Arguments in favour of restoration are excluding the voices of individuals who have a right to be heard.

“An institution is not just a place, it is the way people think,” said Pat Worth, a mentor, activist and champion.

One hundred and eighteen years after the opening of Woodlands, the City of New Westminster must start thinking differently.

Rory Summers

president

BC Association for Community Living