Bethesda (formerly Bethesda Mental Hospital) of the Ontario Mennonite Brethren District Conference was located on a farm near Vineland, Lincoln County, Ontario. It began as a private enterprise by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Wiebe who had come to Canada in 1924 and who had formerly worked in the mental hospital Bethania, Ukraine, Russia. Having an understanding for the lot of the mentally ill, they desired to continue to serve in this field.

In 1932 they took the first patient into their home at Stratford, Ontario. To accommodate more patients, they purchased the farm near Vineland with large buildings in 1937. The home was supported by voluntary contributions until 1944, when the Ontario Provincial Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Church bought it. At this time the institution was registered with the government as a private sanitarium. In 1947 the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches took over the supervision of this institution.

In 1949 this home had 22 patients cared for by a staff of four practical nurses, one orderly, and one part-time registered nurse. Mr. and Mrs. Wiebe were the supervisors. In 1949 only nonviolent patients were admitted. The Conference planed to construct a modern building with the capacity for 30 patients and with facilities for treating more patients.

Over time the program changed and Bethesda worked with developmentally disabled persons at a number of locations in the Niagara Peninsula.

Additional Information

Bethesda website

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