“The Civic Hospital was still brand new when our grandfather Wilfrid Jubinville fell from a 10-metre-high scaffold during the construction of Elmdale School on May 9, 1929.
At age 32, he was rushed by ambulance to the Civic Hospital with two broken legs, a fractured spine and serious internal injuries. His condition was considered critical, and many thought he would not survive the accident.
The excellent care received during his six-year-plus stay at Civic Hospital (1929 to 1936), and the dedication of “Nurse Egan” who continued to provide home care for decades after, undoubtedly saved his life, and Wilfrid, though paralyzed in a wheelchair, lived happily to age 76.
His wife Eva Longpré and his four daughters (Béatrice, Germaine, Jacqueline et Marie-Paule) must have visited him hundreds of times at the Civic, which became a second home for the family during Wilfrid’s hospitalization. They were often photographed on the hospital roof where our grandfather was taken (in his bed and later his wheelchair) for a breath of fresh air, weather permitting.
It is hard to imagine in 2024 spending six or seven years without interruption in a hospital recovering from a work-related injury. Was his stay at Civic Hospital the longest ever? We would be curious to know.” – Jocelyne, Hélène, Robert and Pierre, children of Germaine Jubinville-Allard
