[From the École Gamelin to the Rivière-des-Prairies Hospital: from scandals to its restoration].

The history of the Hôpital Rivière-des-Prairies from its origins up to today is like the history of psychiatric institutions in French Canada: it constitutes a condensed of nearly 80 years: evolution marked by alternating generous initiatives and regrettable events if not scandals with nevertheless a recent successful evolution in its participation within the Institut universitaire en santé de Montréal. From the institutional presented case, this story invites us to keep in mind on the vulnerability of the psychiatric institutions to the perversion of its innovations.