The most recent hospital to be built in Calgary is the South Health Campus, at the southern edge of the city. This massive structure opened in 2012. Farmers’ fields initially surrounded the new hospital as construction started and soon it became part of the skyline. It wasn’t long before the nearby neighbourhood was filled with the homes and shopping malls we see today.
When the Calgary General Hospital Number Three was being constructed in 1909, it too was on the edge of the city. Facing south and perched on the top of the Bow River escarpment, it could be easily seen from the more heavily populated south side of the Bow River. The hospital was in the newly annexed community of Bridgeland. While streets had been established in the community, the population was small and there were few homes built at that time (as you can see in the photograph).
The General Hospital was built to serve a growing Calgary population (40,000) and was much celebrated when it opened on a sunny February 1, 1910. People crossed the newly replaced Langevin (now called Reconciliation) Bridge, with over 1500 in attendance. Lieutenant Governor Bulyea officiated, and the Calgary Rifles Band provided the music with the Ladies Aid serving a luncheon. It was exciting and all were impressed with the spacious and clean new facility.
The hospital was five storeys tall, with a central core and two wings and accommodated 160 patients. It was said to be the largest and most modern hospital in the province, having features such as elevators, telephones, and patient call bells, as well as running water. There was a designated operating room with state-of-the-art equipment.
The matron, Miss Scott had small supervisory staff and 25 student nurses. Because of the large size of the new hospital, she also supervised the separate departments of laundry and dietary as well as the maintenance department which oversaw the high-pressure boilers that provided the heat. The nurses and students were all housed in the upper floors of the hospital.
With the opening of CGH Number Three, Calgary moved into the modern era for medical and health care. Stay tuned for more stories about the evolution of CGH Number Three. We will be hosting several information sessions about the General’s history and the proposed Commemoration project.
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