One hundred years ago, the launch of the Civic Hospital drew thousands of residents from all around to come discover for themselves the wonders of our city’s modern new healthcare facility.
The opening ceremony, held Nov. 27, 1924, included former Ottawa mayor Harold Fisher, who’s credited for launching the relentless campaign to build a new hospital on behalf of his fellow citizens.
Mr. Fisher had recognized the need for an advanced new medical institution after leading the city through the 1918 flu pandemic. By the time the Civic Hospital opened, he was a provincial politician and served on the new hospital’s board of trustees. “This is a great day for me,” Mr. Fisher said at the opening. “In fact, it is the greatest I have ever had.”
Over the next few days, there was a continuous procession of automobiles leading to and from the rural property as residents came to see the state-of-the-art hospital. The new, six-story hospital included approximately 600 beds and operating rooms equipped with “the latest surgical appliances known to medical science”.
The project had its opponents, Fisher acknowledged, that viewed the new hospital as “a burdensome load” forced on the people of Ottawa. Such opponents would rather “thrust the responsibility for the hospital on somebody else besides themselves,” said Fisher.
“The future will vindicate me,” said Fisher in noting “there are very few people who do not get sick sooner or later.”
An entire century later, the community is again coming together to build a leading hospital, recognizing it will improve patient care for generations to come.
