by Deb Lee, BRCA Heritage and CGH Commemoration Project committee
The morning of Sunday, October 4, 1998, was a sunny, crisp day ablaze with the golden colours of the autumn leaves. Thousands of Calgarians, including many from Renfrew, had gathered on the upper escarpment along 7 Avenue and Tom Campbell’s Hill. Others watched out their windows in downtown high rises. A no-fly zone had been declared over this part of the city but that didn’t stop a hot air balloon from drifting into the area. The people waited. What was happening?
Calgarians were here to see the final chapter of the 88-year-old Calgary General Hospital. Shortly after 9:00 am, a button was pushed, the carefully laid explosives were detonated and the hospital imploded, completely falling to the ground in moments. The smokestack was the last to go. The crowds were mostly silent, some people wept… it was not a happy day.
The fate of the 900- bed hospital had been decided in late 1990s. In an atmosphere of cost cutting, the General and two other Calgary hospitals (Holy Cross and the Grace) were closed after it was determined that Calgary had too many hospital beds. The others were sold but the General was slated for demolition. Most patients and staff were transferred to the Peter Lougheed Hospital, and the doors of the hospital closed in late 1997. The next year was spent removing equipment, taking out asbestos and other materials in preparation for the implosion.
The implosion of more than 20 separate structures of “the General” gained Calgary the distinction of having the largest hospital to be closed and leaving our city without downtown emergency services. The implosion included an area of 84,000 square meters using 2,300 kilograms of explosives and earned accolades for the demolition experts.
The Bridgeland community had a role to play as well. With the hospital sitting in the middle of the residential and business community, safety measures had to be put in place. Irene Hammerling, whose father was a resident of the nearby Crossbow Care Centre, was on the committee. She recalls the careful planning and logistics for that day. Large steel containers lined the streets, and heavy tarps were brought in to blanket nearby homes and businesses, protecting them from the impact and from potential debris. An evacuation centre was available for those from nearby homes. Fortunately, the implosion went without incident. Perhaps some Renfrew residents remember this fateful day.
Today the only reminder of the 900-bed city hospital is the memorial wall emerging from the Centre Avenue promenade, inscribed “Calgary General Hospital 1910 -1998.” Since that time – 26 years ago – Bridgeland has changed, becoming home to many new people, most of whom have no memory or knowledge about the hospital’s significance and its 88-year presence here.
To remedy this gap and the loss of remembrance of the important city landmark, Bridgeland Riverside Community Association has initiated the Calgary General Hospital Commemoration Project. The Committee is working toward some noteworthy improvements to the west end of Murdoch Park along the Centre Avenue Plaza between 7A and 8 Street. Features of the project include plaques that will tell the story of the General, along with a gazebo, additional seating, and lighting. The Calgary Parks Foundation is supporting the project.
If you’d like to learn more about the project, go to the Bridgeland-Riverside website – brcacalgary.org – and scroll down to the CGH information. You’re invited to attend out CGH information sessions that will be happening during the fall.
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