Exploring the history of a Saskatchewan mental hospital

Exploring the history of a Saskatchewan mental hospital

From People First Radio by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

May 24, 2026 · 41 min

About this episode

The episode explores the history and significance of the Weyburn Mental Hospital in Saskatchewan, highlighting its contradictions and legacy.

When it opened in 1921, the Weyburn Mental Hospital was hailed as the last and largest asylum in the British Commonwealth. Managing Madness co-author Erika Dyck writes that in the beginning, it was a symbol of both progress and a bygone era, embodying a set of contradictions from the outset. Dyck is a Canada Research […]

People in this episode

Guest: Erika Dyck

Topics covered

  • mental health
  • history
  • asylums
  • Canada
  • Saskatchewan
  • Weyburn Mental Hospital

Keywords

  • Weyburn Mental Hospital
  • mental health history
  • asylum
  • Erika Dyck
  • Canada Research

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Weyburn Mental Hospital

Books & works: Managing Madness

Places: Saskatchewan

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