At the north end of Riverview Hospital - behind a hedge along Lougheed Highway, where thousands of motorists pass every day - there is a pristine, peaceful site that sits empty.
Or so it seems.
The manicured 3.6-acre lawn is bordered by a fence with homes on two sides and, to the south, there is a row of old oak trees along Orchid Drive. A paved road leads to a centre circle that, at this time of the year, boasts a very red maple tree and other plants.
There are no signs anywhere but, if you take a stroll on the south side, there are stone markers below your feet.
The headstones are not noticeable at first as they are flush to the ground and simple - bearing only the deceased's name and the day they died. Only a few have words of sentiment - "Free At Last," for example - or show any inscriptions about the 1,085 bodies underneath.
Riverview records of the graveyard offer little insight, too. They indicate only the dead's given and last names, their dates of death and burial, and their locations in the letter block portion of the site and their numbered plot.
Patients at the 101-year-old mental health institution, which the provincial government closed last year, were laid to rest there starting in January 1958, the records report.
It is believed the last internment happened on April 4, 2012, for the cremated remains of Jane Doe, whose skeleton had been used at the hospital for medical instruction and other purposes.
Still, another 200 Riverview patients lie at the Coquitlam city cemetery on Robinson Street and countless others are buried in New Westminster, where they were placed in a graveyard shared by the Provincial Hospital for the Insane (later called Woodlands).
David Spence, a Port Moody resident and retired reverend who once served as a community support for the Riverview chaplaincy program, said not much is known about Riverview Cemetery. Through his research, Spence has learned not all 1,085 bodies are Riverview patients: Some had relatives buried alongside while others are hospital staff, he said.
"Their souls are here and I think it's time for us to honour them," he said.
This weekend, Spence will lead a multi-faith service to remember the people who died at the institution. The tribute Sunday will include prayers, song, readings and scattering of flower petals. Leaders from the Jewish, Sikh, Muslim and First Nations' communities have been invited to take part.
"I want people to leave with a sense of reverence and respect for the history that we have in Coquitlam, and with a greater appreciation for the hospital and cemetery that is here," Spence said, adding, "Not many people know about his sacred place and that's too bad."
Spence said he decided to hold the memorial service as BC Housing prepares an extensive consultation process about the future of the Riverview lands. This year, the agency was tasked by the provincial government to find out if there is a way to renew the 244 acres - with a goal to "break even" on any possible redevelopment.
Riverview contains about 80 buildings, some of which have a heritage value; as well, there is a renowned arboretum.
Spence said the religious and spiritual aspect of Riverview - once a self-sufficient facility he said was set up for Christian purposes to treat the mentally ill - needs to be addressed before the "estate" returns for public discussion.
