Calgary
General Hospital Commemoration Project Update
by
Deb Lee, BRCA Heritage and CGH Project
The
Calgary General Hospital (CGH) Project Committee continues to move forward with
garnering support for the project from various stakeholders, including The City
of Calgary. We recently met with our new Ward 9 Councillor, Harrison Clark, and
were pleased with his recognition of the importance of the contributions of the
Calgary General Hospital to the well-being of Calgarians over many decades. He indicated that he appreciates our efforts to achieve the
goals of a commemorative plaza in Murdoch Park.
Long-time committee member Lou
Winthers has stepped down recently, and Cheryl DePaoli, BRCA Funding Director,
has joined the committee. Many thanks to Lou for her dedication to the project,
and welcome aboard, Cheryl.
The CGH Project Committee have
hired a researcher, Irena Karshenbaum, who will delve into the historical
records about the General Hospital. This is a significant undertaking, as the
hospital operated from 1890 onward for a total of 108 years – 88 of which were
in Bridgeland. The newspaper reports from the early days are a fascinating
read. Irena will outline the significant milestones and develop a framework for
the storytelling part of the commemorative plaza.
Letters of support for the project are
essential and have recently been received from the Southern Alberta Pioneers,
Professor Emeritus of History Donald Smith, as well as local residents Laura M.,
Susan M., Susan S., and Elizabeth R., who have all thoughtfully articulated what
the hospital meant to them, to our city, and the importance of the CGH
Commemoration Project. We would welcome letters of support from anyone interested
in the project.
In the past two years, we have made
presentations about CGH and our plans to commemorate the hospital to over 20
groups. We continue to be available for group presentations about the history
of the hospital, so if you are interested, please contact us to arrange a time.
Recently, we attended the luncheon of the Women’s Canadian Club of Calgary,
where we shared stories about the 108-year history of the hospital with over 140
attendees. They were fascinated to learn that Jean Pinkham, a 1911 founding
member of their organization, was a driving force in the beginnings of the Cottage
Hospital (CGH#1) in 1890.
The CGH committee is in the process
of renewing our contract with the Parks Foundation of Calgary. They have been
our fiscal agent for the past four years: accepting donations, providing
charitable receipts, and sending regular financial updates. We’ve appreciated the
Parks Foundation’s involvement as well as the financial contributions from
people in our community and beyond. Your donations show that the community
cares about the CGH Commemoration Project, which is important for prospective
large donors and grant providers. See the QR code access to BRCA website where
you can connect to the Parks Foundation website and make a donation.
We continue to welcome your stories
and memories of the Calgary General Hospital and its impact on our community. Contact
us at [email protected]
Thank you, Bridgeland, for all your
support!
Click here to the Bridgeland/Riverside Community News home page for the latest Bridgeland/Riverside community updates.
