Hewton and Griffin Award Winners 2026

Philippe Blouin: Identifying Defence Research Board Psychiatric Research on Indigenous People

This project investigates Defence Research Board (DRB)-funded psychiatric research on Indigenous children at McGill University’s Allan Memorial Institute between the 1940s and 1960s, expanding on legal and archival work conducted with the Kanien’kehá:ka Ka’nisténhsera (Mohawk Mothers). By examining records from Library and Archives Canada and the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation, the research seeks to clarify the DRB’s role in specific, potentially harmful, experiments targeting Kahnawà:ke children.

Lynn LaCroix: Police-assisted mental health response

This research project investigates the emergence and effectiveness of grassroots, peer-led street outreach groups in Canada as alternatives to police-led mental health crisis interventions. While some cities have implemented police-assisted pilot programs, this study draws on abolitionist research to argue that such models often contribute to systemic institutionalization and fail to adequately address crises. By utilizing archival research and interviews, the project seeks to document the undocumented history and operational methods of Canadian grassroots groups, exploring their roots in social justice movements—such as those following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Black Lives Matter—to determine if they offer viable, community-based solutions. Ultimately, the research aims to fill a critical gap in the literature by centering lived experience and identifying non-carceral pathways for responding to mental health, housing, and drug-related crises.

Scarlett Gillespie AKA Jelena Vermilion: Madness, Morality, and Medicalization: Social Control at the Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital, 1876 – 1971

This project investigates the historical relationship between sex work, moral regulation, and psychiatric commitment at the Hamilton Psychiatric Hospital from 1890 to 1990. By analyzing patient registers and clinical casebooks at the Archives of Ontario, the researcher seeks to determine the extent to which psychiatric authority was used to enforce social norms rather than treat mental illness, particularly targeting women deemed “immoral” or “promiscuous.” Grounded in Mad studies and feminist socio-legal history, the methodology utilizes critical discourse analysis to examine how race, class, and gender shaped institutional responses. Led by a researcher with lived experience, the project aims to produce a scholarly article and a public talk in Hamilton, ultimately contributing to contemporary justice conversations by uncovering how medical power has historically been used to govern sexuality and disability.