1984
Review and recommendations are submitted to the government which support severing the two components of the RPNABC: labour relations from the professional association and leads to the creation of the Union of Psychiatric Nurses.
1983
With Riverview's population continuing to fall, West Lawn is permanently closed. Farming operations at Colony Farm are discontinued.
1974
B.C.'s Forensic Psychiatry Act is enacted, creating the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission (FPSC) to provide mental health services for persons in conflict with the law. The Forensic Psychiatric Hospital is transitioned from what were then the Units at Colony Farms. FPSC opens its Vancouver clinic, the first of what would later become a province-wide network of regional clinics. The "Nurses (Psychiatric) Act" is in force and provides the basis of… Read More »1974
1972
The B.C. School of Psychiatric Nursing moves from Riverview to the B.C. Institute of Technology. The following year sees the last graduating class from the Riverview program.
1968
"Act Respecting the Registered Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia" is passed. The Association was incorporated with the name Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of British Columbia (RPNABC).
1966
The PNABC hires a Secretary to work for the Association, followed quickly by an Executive Director/Registrar. Essondale is renamed Riverview Hospital, although Valleyview continues to operate independently until 1986.
1965
The Association becomes involved in wage negotiations and labour management policies in order to advance the interests of psychiatric nurses.
1964
The B.C. Mental Health Act is introduced, bringing a number of administrative changes, which supports the move to community treatment. This year sees the closure of the Colquitz Forensic Psychiatric Hospital and the remaining patients are transferred to Colony Farm.
1959
The Valleyview unit opens. The former TB sanitarium in Kamloops, Tranquille, is converted to a residential facility for the developmentally disabled.
1955
The Tuberculosis Unit (now called North Lawn) opens at Essondale. New treatments including pharmacological, community mental health centres, boarding homes, and general hospital psychiatric wards, result in a decline in the patient population at Essondale.