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Yorkville's Hepatitis "Epidemic" of 1968
On July of 1968, according to Dr. Anne Keyl of Women's College Hospital, there had been an "unusual number" of patients diagnosed with hepatitis in connection to the Yorkville Village. Combination of Serum Hepatitis, contracted through needle sharing and sexual activity along with Infectious Hepatitis contracted from contaminated food, water, human-contact. The Medical Officer of Health for Toronto, A.R.J Boyd, stated that the Infectious Hepatitis had yet to be found in Yorkville, it was not until media intervention that the misuse of the word epidemic had begun, perpetuating the "hippie disease," further to the already frowned upon community.

Statistics
The Canadian Journal of Public Health on the Epidemiology of Infectious Hepatitis in Toronto stated in its findings conducted in 1962, that Infectious hepatitis first became a reportable disease in Toronto in 1938. During the years 1943, 1954, 1957, 1958 and 1960 there had been over 100 cases reported, with 1957 holding the highest reported cases with 172. In terms of the 1968 outbreak, the 1969 Report of the Co-ordinating Committee for the Ontario Development of Health's findings had found that majority of the cases of hepatitis could be credited to unsanitary intravenous drug use amoung users. Stating that the total of 32 patients hospitalized for probable hepatitis "27 who were classified as probable (Serum) Hepatitis and three as possible Hepatitis used drugs intravenously. The remaining two, who did not use drugs intravenously, classified as probable infectious Hepatitis." Based on a clinical account within the Report of 25 patients only one of these patients did not use drugs, with the others all using amphetamines intravenously. On July 30th and August 2nd 1968, Dr. Keyl, Boyd and the Provincial Epidemiologist met and had determined that "the number of cases of infectious hepatitis reported in Toronto in July 1968...was still less than half the number reported in July 1966". Evidence suggests that the cases of hepatitis in Yorkville did not classify as an epidemic, rather a disease spread through intravenous drug use over contaminated food or water.

Counterculture in the Village
Toronto's initial bohemian community in he 1950s started to move into Yorkville from Gerrard Street due to the expansion of the Toronto General Hospital overlapping their space. Known at the time as an ethnic ghetto, for its population entailing many immigrants from war-torn Eastern Europe as both the residents and owners of local businesses such as the famous coffee houses, clothing stores and restaurants. Yorkville was a focal point of Toronto's counterculture during the 1960's housing students, hippies, artists, greasers, and bikers, made possible with the low rent cost. The population's identity of hegemonic dissent and overall resistance to societal norms allowed the area to be seen as a foreign land and the disapproval of their culture all together. Allowing it to be known as the "hippie ghetto". Youth in the 1960s holding great political significance due to their behaviour of anger, alienation and activist rhetoric the raises concerns. Counterculture ideology during the decade was rooted in authenticity and peacefulness, drugs including LSD, marijuana and later in the decade with injectable amphetamines. Ideals of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll as the driving factors of youth with music scene prevalent in coffee houses and sex being through "free love" being casual sex ( . The acceptance of casual sex in the community led to the increase of different venereal diseases along side the communities vast popularity creating overcrowding was promoting poor sanitation and hygiene to outsiders. Mayor Allen Lamport and the City Council discussed the unclean, unshaven and overall aesthetic of the youth being ultimately a social disease . In March of 1968 the City of Toronto Planning Board proposed a plan for Yorkville, encouraging a very specific ideal for the neighbourhood that would support the business owners . The board focused specifically on maintaining the "existing character of the Village as a regional center for high quality shops located in converted Victorian houses, offering high quality goods, and catering to the upper income groups, and to those with special tastes". The end of the hip in Yorkville brought forth the construction of hotels and businesses well into the 1970s. The increase of the once low-cost rent compelled the youth population out of the Village.

Media and the Epidemic
July of 1968, brought the "unusual number" of people diagnosed with hepatitis in connection to the Yorkville Village. A combination of Serum Hepatitis and Infectious Hepatitis, with the former being expected as it aligns with the ideals of counterculture. The latter as more alarming discovery, as it threatened not only the youth in the community, but those outside of the Village. Boyd as the Medical Officer stated the findings of Hepatitis had yet to be found in Yorkville, local media including the Toronto Star, Toronto Telegram and the Globe and Mail all framed the stories to reflective negatively on the hip community. By August 9th nearly 150 people reported the disease with the media criticizing the cities efforts in controlling this "epidemic." It wasn't long after that the Province of Ontario had stepped in formally asking people to stay out of Yorkville after investigation of the disease. Torontonians were fearful of the Village and its residents so much so that people yelled on the streets if these hippies got to close in fear of contracting the disease. The nuance of the dirty hippie went also as far as in a study of "The Health of Yorkville" in October 1968, being a study focusing on the drug and sexual practices within the Village stating the population as the "hippie." With the study set to display why the "hippie subculture" does not seek medical attention despite considering the small portion of the subjected population that used intravenous drugs. The study allows a clear connection to be made between "hippie", "drugs", and "Yorkville".