II. Historical Overview of Canada’s Treatment of Persons
Who Have Been Labelled with Intellectual Disabilities^5
A. Warehousing in Institutions
In the early 19th century it was acceptable to force people, whom society saw as
unworthy or unwanted and whom it was “best” to have hidden away, into very
large institutions. It was an acceptable practice in Europe and North America to
warehouse the “undesirables” – orphans, unmarried mothers, poor and elderly.
During the late19th century, Ontario began to build new institutions to house
people who had been labelled with intellectual disabilities. In 1839, the Ontario
government had passed "An Act to Authorise the Erection of an Asylum within
this Province for the Reception of Insane and Lunatic Persons”^6. Under this Act,
the Government of Ontario had the authority to establish the first provincial
asylum for people who had been labelled with intellectual disabilities.
The Orillia Asylum for Idiots, later known as the Huronia Regional Centre, was
built in 1876. By 1968 Huronia had 2,600 residents^7. The Ontario Hospital School
in Smiths Falls, later named the Rideau Regional Centre, opened in 1951 and at
its peak had 2,650 residents^8. The government continued to open more and
more of these institutions^9.
(^5) For more information see online: Ministry of Community and Social Services, “From institutional
to community living: A history of developmental services in Ontario”
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/dshistory/ 6
See online Ministry of Community and Social Services, “The evolution of government policy and
legislation: 1839 7 – 1960” http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/dshistory/legislation/1839-1960.aspx
See online: Ministry of Community and Social Services, “Huronia Regional Centre”
http://www.mcss.gov 8 .on.ca/en/dshistory/firstInstitution/huronia.aspx
See online: Ministry of Community and Social Services, “Rideau Regional Centre”
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/dshistory/fi 9 rstInstitution/rideau.aspx
For a list of all the government operated institutions for people who had been labelled with an
intellectual disability go to online: Ministry of Community and Social Services, “
Government-operated institutions for people with a developmental disability”
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/dshistory/firstInstitution/list_institutions.aspx