University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020-01-29 Uncharted Territory: Psychosurgery in Western Canada, 1935-1970 Collins, Brianne M. Collins, B. M. (2020). Uncharted Territory: Psychosurgery in Western Canada, 1935-1970 (Unpublished doctoral thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. http://hdl.handle.net/1880/111599 doctoral thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Uncharted Territory: Psychosurgery in Western Canada, 1935-1970 by Brianne M. Collins A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN PSYCHOLOGY CALGARY, ALBERTA JANUARY, 2020 © Brianne M. Collins 2020 Abstract This dissertation provides the first scholarly account of the use of psychosurgery in western Canada in the mid-20th century. In particular, the adoption, organization, and purpose of the treatment within provincial mental hospitals in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba are explored. I argue that while psychosurgery’s adoption in these provinces mirrored its deployment elsewhere in North America, the cumulative impact of decades of overcrowding, inadequate funding, the privations of war, and the devastation of the Great Depression only amplified psychosurgery’s appeal by the early 1940s. Although it was touted as a therapeutic advancement, the treatment—along with three other somatic therapies—enabled psychiatrists in western Canada to bolster their image in the medical community by demonstrating they were capable of actively treating mental illness. From a more critical perspective, I also explore the notion that psychosurgery was employed in service of a larger social agenda ascribed to mental hospitals—namely, the systemic management, control, and correction of a segment of the population that had been deemed a burden to society. Once the treatment was introduced, each province needed to negotiate who would perform the surgeries and how, when, and where they would take place. The expansion of psychosurgery in most of the provinces was ultimately made possible by federal mental health grants that became available in 1948. By 1954, all of the provincial mental hospitals were performing psychosurgery—either on site or in partnership with a nearby general hospital. Based on available data from each province, there were at least 1,240 operations conducted in western Canada between 1943 and 1973. Of the western provinces, however, Manitoba and British Columbia maintained the most robust psychosurgical programs. ii Keywords: Psychosurgery, leucotomy, lobotomy, western Canada, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba iii Acknowledgements I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my doctoral supervisor, Hank Stam. While it ended up being a longer journey than either of us anticipated, your expertise, patience, wisdom, and humour were invaluable throughout the process. Thank you for being my advocate when it was necessary and for not giving up on me when it looked like I may not finish. Many thanks to the members of my examination committee—Andrew Bulloch, Frank Stahnisch, Ted McCoy, and Christopher Green—for your insightful questions, comments, and suggestions. I am also grateful for the expertise and support offered by Lorrie Radtke as well as other graduates of the theoretical psychology program at the University of Calgary—specifically, Basia Ellis and Jennifer Moore. I was fortunate enough to receive financial assistance from the University of Calgary during the first three years of my degree and for that I am exceptionally grateful. I am also thankful to have been a recipient of the 2013 Griffin Bursary graciously provided by the Friends of the Archives at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Ontario. This project would not have been possible without the assistance and cooperation of various archives and museums across western Canada. In British Columbia, I would like to thank Mac Culham and the reference archivists at the BC Archives. In Alberta, many thanks to Sandy Allsopp at the Fort Ostell Museum in Ponoka, the archivists and staff at the Provincial Archives of Alberta, the University of Calgary’s Digitization and Repository Services (Libraries and Cultural Resources), and Marissa Fraser at the University of Alberta Archives. In Saskatchewan, I greatly appreciated the help of a number of the archivists at the Saskatchewan Archives including Lisa Long, Tim Novak, and Rob Phillipson. I would also like to thank the staff at the Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford who allowed me to spend a day exploring the onsite iv museum. In Manitoba, I would like to thank the members of the province’s Health and Information Privacy Committee (HIPC) and Jason Berry from Information Management and Analytics (IMA) who helped me navigate the complex process of accessing restricted archival records. A special thanks to the Research Committee at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre (SMHC) whose letter of support played an important role in obtaining approval from the HIPC to proceed with my study. I would be remised if I did not also thank Jennifer Kaiser, a contract specialist in legal and intellectual property from the University of Calgary’s Research Services who helped to negotiate the research agreement with the Government of Manitoba. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Kathleen Epp and the reference archivists and staff at the Archives of Manitoba and the Legislative Library. As well, I greatly appreciated Brandi Walder’s assistance during numerous visits onsite at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre. Lastly, I would like to thank Jordan Bass and Nicole Courrier from the University of Manitoba Archives. I also wish to extend my gratitude to several other individuals who graciously offered their time and expertise throughout the course of my project. Many thanks to Dr. Robert Lampard who freely offered his assistance concerning Alberta’s neurosurgical history. A special thanks as well to Dr. Arthur Frederick Wilson for sharing valuable details concerning several neurosurgeons in Alberta. I would also like to express my gratitude to Chris Dooley for his suggestions early in my research regarding gaining access to health records in Manitoba. Thanks also to Alex Deighton who was kind enough to alert me to several mentions of lobotomies in Saskatchewan that he encountered while working on his own research. Finally, I cannot possibly forget to thank Delia Gavrus whose outstanding work on the first generation of neurosurgeons in North America proved to be an invaluable resource. I have also deeply appreciated her ongoing interest in my work and overall spirit of collegiality. v Completing my dissertation while holding several academic positions would not have been possible without the support of those institutions. Many thanks to Linda Schwartz, Dean of Arts and Sciences at Ambrose University, and Cameron McKenzie, Provost and VP Academic at Providence University College and Theological Seminary, who did whatever they could to make it possible for me to complete my dissertation. Likewise, I would also like to thank my department chairs/heads at both universities—Alex Sanderson and Joel Thiessen (Interim) at Ambrose and Dennis Hiebert at Providence—for helping me protect my time and for supporting me as I gradually chipped away at my dissertation. Thank you as well to the librarians at both institutions for helping me locate and access countless sources. And, of course, I would like to thank the many colleagues at both of these institutions who supported me in a multitude of ways and walked alongside me at different points in this long journey. While it is not possible to name everyone, I would be remised if I did not expressly thank Charles Nienkirchen, Kim McLachlan, Monetta Bailey, Beth Stovell, Rita Dirks, Lauren Goldbeck, Beth Gripping, Heather Macumber, Val Hiebert, Morgan Mulenga, Catherine Rust-Akinbolaji, Elfrieda Lepp-Kaethler, Luann Hiebert, Marla Williamson, Rebecca Dielschneider, Christopher Lortie, and Nicholas Greco for the myriad ways that each of you contributed to my reaching this milestone. Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my friends and family—those brave souls who bore witness to the stress, excitement, agony, disappointment, tears, and triumphs that have characterized this long and arduous journey. Many thanks to the so-called ‘York Mafia’ who adopted me as one of their own and who freely and graciously gifted me with encouragement, laughter, and stimulating intellectual conversation. I am particularly indebted to several dear friends and fellow scholars who walked this road most closely beside me—Jennifer Bazar, Jacy Young, Erna Kurbegovic, and Kelsey Lucyk. Thank you for listening to my half- vi baked ideas, holding me back from the ledge when necessary, riding the roller coaster of emotions that is graduate work, sharing my excitement over archival finds, and, for several of you, reading drafts of various chapters. As well, I would like to thank Stephanie Collins, Granny, and the Uphams for their assistance, love, and support over the years. I am also deeply indebted to my beautiful sister, Kelsey Collins, whose humour, authenticity, tenacity, and love have been a constant source of inspiration, hope, and connection. And, to my wonderful parents, without whom this would not have been possible. Your unwavering support and your steadfast encouragement spurred me on to the finish line. Your commitment to supporting the pursuit of my dream was, and remains, remarkable and a testament to your deep love for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. With awe and gratitude, I dedicate this accomplishment to you.