November, 1903, marks a memorable epoch in the history of the child cripples throughout Canada, for it was then—nearly a year after their first meeting—that the committee procured temporary quarters in the private dwelling, 500 Guy Street, where they practically launched their noble enterprise, thus bringing into being one of Canada’s greatest and long-felt needs, an institution especially adapted for the treatment of deformities of children and of the many diseases accruing from these deformities.
To those temporary quarters children were brought from the East and West, from the North and South of the Dominion to receive surgical and medical treatment. In that small building, though the accommodations were woefully limited, many and remarkable cures have been effected.
The Children’s Memorial Hospital of today was opened April 6, 1909, its beautiful location and handsome and well equipped buildings making it a credit to the city and to the Dominion.
From an institution, pitifully hampered at its beginning and during the first five years of its existence, has evolved one resplendent in its environments of sunshine and mountain air; of foliage, flowers and birds. It occupies one of the most delightful sites in or around the beautiful city of Montreal. Situated on the upper slope of Cedar Avenue with the greater height of Mount Royal for its background, the blue waters of the grand St. Lawrence stretching before it, the busy city almost encircling it, the Children’s Memorial Hospital of Montreal stands, not merely an ornament to our city, but a benefit to or land. Its wards, sun-parlors, operating rooms, out-door department, nurses’ apartments, dining room, kitchens, corridors, passages—all bear evidence of the great work carried on in the institution.
It is a general hospital for all children’s diseases, with the exception of those that are contagious, with wards for boys, girls and infants, and there is surgical and medical treatment. The officers from the inception have been: Sir Melbourne Tait, president; Sir H. Graham, first vice president; Mr. G.H. Smithers, second vice president and honorary treasurer; Dr. A. McKenzie Forbes, third vice president and honorary secretary; Dr. H.B. Cushing, fourth vice president and recording secretary; and Mr. George J. Foster, honorary solicitor.
THE HOPITAL STE. JUSTINE
The Hôpital Ste. Justine, which is a corresponding institution to the last named, was established as a hospital and dispensary for children in November, 1907, at No. 740 St. Denis Street, in a house loaned at a nominal price by Mr. Damien Rolland. The next spring it was removed to 820 Delorimier Avenue. Meantime, as the work was of great importance, steps were taken to rear a worthy building which saw its first stone solemnly blessed on St. Denis Street in April, 1914. The building was opened in May, 1914, and towards the end of June the patients were transferred from Delorimier Avenue. The formal blessing of the Hospital by Archbishop Bruchesi took place in November.
The hospital is well equipped with departments for general medicine, surgery, diseases of the eye and skin diseases. For the last three years the religious sisters, “Les Filles de la Sagesse,” have directed the internal arrangements and the nursing department. In connection with the hospital there is a school of nurses for children’s diseases and the hospital is the only body in the Dominion empowered to grant diplomas for such. Arrangements are being made to connect the hospital with the University of Laval as the children’s clinic.
The board of directors is composed of a committee of ladies and medical men, the names of those applying for the charter being: Mesdames Raoul Dandurand, Lady Lacoste, J.R. Thibaudeau, F.L. Beique, A.A. Thibaudeau, F. D. Monk, D. Rolland, L. Beaubien, F.X. Choquet, Jules Hamel, A. Berthiaume, F. Bruneau, J.A. Leblanc, Gérin Normand, R. Masson, Henri Gerin-Lajoie, L. de G. Beaubien, Mademoiselles Euphrosine Rolland, May Boyer, Blanche Lareau and Thais Lacoste, and the following doctors: Joseph G. Dubé, Zephyrin Lachapelle, R.G. Hervieux, Louis Joseph Gatelien Cleroux, Telesphore Parizeau, Seraphin Boucher, Joseph Charles Bourgoin, Benjamin Georges Bourgeois, Zephir Rheaume, Irma Levasseur, Edouard Etienne Laurent and Raoul Masson.