Yes – both through their representatives on the Board and through other direct communications such as the Between Neighbours newsletter and through local media. The 2 community representatives on the Board have also kept their colleagues apprised of issues of concern to their constituents during the frequent updates on the project over the past 3 years.

The growth in the neurophenotyping centre's activities and research staff has exceeded projections. This will necessitate a larger space, which will be created in the new Institute. In the future, the centre will continue to provide specialized research services to third parties.

Once the project receives approval to proceed, a heritage study will be conducted to identify which of our buildings are historically significant and should be preserved.

This would recreate the old asylum approach of keeping the facility – and its mission – out of sight. Also, the necessary construction would disrupt services and require the relocation of staff and patients for very long periods of time.

The transformation of the 'old Douglas asylum' to the new Douglas University Institute will have a very positive impact on the community and on the perception of mental health in general. A new, more welcoming and approachable Douglas will help to remove some of the stigma associated with mental health and create a stronger link with the members of our community.

The proposal we are submitting to the government does not involve any change to the current use of the Douglas land. There is no discussion of re-zoning, sale or development.

The proposed location is on the north-east corner of our property, bordered by Champlain boulevard and Stephens avenue.

The Prefeasibility Study involved asking patients, clinicians and experts to identify our needs for the future – this is the first step. Now that we have clear vision for our future, it is time to take the next step – informing and involving the community.

You can visit the Web site for the upcoming information sessions dates.

Sufficient space will remain vacant between the new construction and the residential Stephens Street, in order to ensure that both parties keep their privacy. This space will also allow green space development and new trees to be planted, which will separate the Institute from the neighbour's yards, allowing all to enjoy pleasant views.

No. A detailed analysis of each of the buildings conducted as part of the prefeasibility study determined that renovation and reuse is not recommended due to excessive cost, disruption of service, continuation of inefficient pavilion model, and results that still wouldn`t meet standards for modern care.

The Champlain boulevard location meets several important criteria:

• Places the Institute on the street instead of 'hidden away';
• Maximizes the use of the land bequeathed by the Douglas family which is designated for psychiatric use;
• Minimizes disruption during construction;
• Allows for optimal light exposure for patients and staff.

For the moment, our project is still simply a submission to the Ministry of Health with the possibility of approvals and construction still several years away. As such, no concrete plans for the Daycare have been developed to date. However, should the construction of a new facility necessitate the relocation of the Daycare, our project team would certainly work closely with the Funville administration to build a new Daycare at the Douglas.

All possible costs – including demolition of non-heritage buildings – had to be included in the prefeasibility study, for budgeting purposes. Heritage buildings won't be demolished.

More than 300 people were consulted in the development of the Prefeasiblity Study. This included patients, clinicians, Douglas staff, our community mental health partners, international experts in mental health facility design and representatives at the Agency (now Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux - CISSS) and the Ministry of Health.