St. Mary’s Hospital celebrating 90 years

It started at the end of dirt road on the outskirts of Kitchener and is now the provincial and national leader in life-saving cardiac procedures, St. Mary’s General Hospital has come a long way and today they are celebrating their 90th Anniversary.

The public is invited to look back on the 90 years of St. Mary’s Hospital from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and look at historical displays dating back to when the hospital opened.

Now serving a population of 850,000,  St. Mary’s started with just a hand-full of nurses, doctors and volunteers when it opened in doors in 1924.

In 1923, $150,000 was raised by the community to begin construction on the hospital and in 1996 over 100,000 people singed a Save St. Mary’s petition to keep the hospital open following provincial hospital restructuring.

St. Mary’s Hospital President Don Shilton tells 570 News the generosity of the community has helped keep the hospital open over the last 90 years.

” It’s one of those great reciprocal arrangements where the staff give their all for the community and the community turns around and is a great support for the hospital.”

Shilton adds the hospital has endured thanks to a strong foundation laid by the Sister of St. Joseph who purchased the land for $8,500 in 1916.

“The really helped build a legacy of compassionate care that lives on today. The staff they look to the history of the sisters, and the traditions. It’s our founders that have really  laid a very solid foundation over the years.”

Shilton says although he can’t see 90 years from now, he adds the next 5 to 10 years will sharpen the focus on programs in the hospital and the community programs it supports.

St. Mary’s Through the Years:

1916 : What is now 911 Queen’s Boulevard was purchased by the Sisters of St. Joseph for $8,500 It was at the end of a dirt road on the outskirts of Kitchener.

1923: Construction starts on St. Mary’s with the help of $150,000 raised by the community.

1924: October 21, St. Mary’s opens a three-storey building under the direction of Sister Mary Bonaventure Halloran. Also in 1924 St. Mary’s School of Nursing opens with 12 students. By 1974 when the last class graduated, St. Mary’s had trained about 1,200 nurses.

1960: Construction began on a $5.5 million 10-storey tower, tripling the size of the hospital to 354 beds, expanding services and adding a new emergency department.

1989: Obstetrics was transferred to Grand River Hospital, ending an era at St. Mary’s which saw 130,000 babies born.

1996: Fears that St. Mary’s might close due to hospital provincial hospital restructuring sparked a grass roots campaign. More than 100,000 people signed a Save St. Mary’s petition and business leaders successfully lobbied the government for badly needed services.

2003:Full cardiac services begin at St. Mary’s Regional Cardiac Care Centre, including heart surgery and angioplasty.

2008: New 100,000 square foot addition opens with $10 million in community support. Included is new clinical and support service space, state of the art operating rooms and enhanced outpatient areas.

2013: Cardiac Centre celebrates 10th anniversary, plans for construction of new Arrhythmia Program.

2014: St. Mary’s celebrates 10 years of Thoracic and Respiratory Excellence, as well as the 90th anniversary of the hospital.