History of the Welland County General Hospital

{Compiled by “S”}

The first hospital was a converted house of Dr. H.D. Cowper, opened in 1906, at the corner of  King(Muir) St and Young St.

There were 2 wards, 4 private rooms, operating room, sterilizing room, and a physician consulting room. As the population of Welland grew so did the need for a real hospital.

The first one completely funded by the public was built in 1908.

In February of 1908 R.W. Bruce-Smith, provincial inspector of hospitals recommended constructing a new building, specially designed to serve as a hospital.

During the early months of 1906 Welland industrial commissioner B.J. McCormick, Dr. H.D. Cowper, medical officer of health ,Dr. J.H. Howell; officials of Plymouth Cordage and members of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire joined together as they set out to provide the Welland county with its very first hospital.

The original board met February 15, 1907, a public meeting was held to discuss the hospital. The proposal was in the handwriting of Louis Blake Duff. Other notable names included Burgar, Colbeck, Griffith, also included leaders who got together to form a provisional hospital board in 1907.

A year later April 6, 1908 the provisional board received its title patent officially creating the new hospital.

The selection of the hospital site took longer than the decision to construct it.

Welland’s community east of the canal battled the west side. After much discussion, the Wade property on the south bank of the Welland river was selected. However,the high price Mr. Wade was charging made the hospital board reconsider. H.A. Rose and the R. Morwood estate donated the land.

By November 1908 the new Welland hospital had been approved by the Ontario government and the provincial inspector R.W. Bruce-Smith. It was officially opened by Col. J.M. Gibson Lieutenant Governor of Ontario on March 1, 1909.

The first hospital was a 3 storey building, forty feet by eighty feet. The basement contained a kitchen, laundry, dispensary, cold storage, dining rooms, boilers and cool rooms.

The public, private and semi-private wards, as well as operating room, lavatories, diet kitchen and spacious verandas were on the first and second floors. The upper floor was reserved for staff quarters, including some live-in apartments.

During the first six months of 1909 a total of 60 patients registered at the hospital. Fifty- one operations were performed. It cost the hospital’s first patients about 50 cents a day in a public room, semi-private was $1.00 and private room was $2.00 each day All lab work, medication and x-rays were extra.

Each staff member was responsible for a range of duties. The director of nursing was also the hospital administrator The switch-board operator was a bookkeeper.

The pharmacy barely existed. There was no real ambulance service until 1930s. Patients were  transported from Fonthill, Port Colborne and Dain City by trolley car equipped with extra-wide doors.

There were several expansions; by 1928, 1000 people had registered at the hospital, 500 operations were performed. In 1930 an east wing was added, beds now totaled 90.

The first children’s ward opened on second floor in 1931..

In 1943 construction workers were building the south mill at Atlas Steel to increase steel production for the war effort when a ceiling collapsed, trapping men under tons of cement and girders. Workers were rushed to the hospital and extra beds were brought from attic and the basement was transformed into a ward. The staff was overworked, because many staff went overseas. Anyone with first aid training was called to help.

In 1943 the enlarged hospital added 40 more beds.

By 1950 the 120 bed capacity was not adequate to serve a population of over 50,000.

In Welland, a registered nurses training school opened in 1912, at the hospital and operated until 1934-35, graduating more than 50 nurses.

The requirements were, one year of secondary school and a certificate of health. The first 3 months were probation,. They wore blue dresses with white collar and cuffs with a white apron. After 3 months they received a bib for the apron.

Their wage was $6.00 a month, working 12 hour shifts, assisting on clinical units, serving meal trays, cleaning bedpans and receiving class room training.

After three years of training and exams they received R.N.

The original hospital auxiliary was the Sir Issac Brock Chapter of the I.O.D.E., formed in 1906. It helped build the first hospital by raising about $16.000., primarily sponsoring the Fair of all Nations. They contributed funds for equipment and funds for the hospital through the years.

After 1933 Doctors on the Welland scene were; Dr. Colbeck, Dr, Reeves, Dr. Allison. Dr. Emmett, Dr. Cowper, Dr. Boyd. Dr. Smith. Dr Renaud, Dr. Binns, Dr Myers, Dr Scozzafave, Dr. Jordan. Dr. Dowd.

Dr. Cowper and Dr. Colbeck were principal surgeons. Dr. Boyd did general work also took interest in the Welland baby clinic assisted by Miss Anna Oram. Dr Smith was chief  radiologist.

Before the war Dr. M.S. Maclean moved to Fonthill and Welland, He came after the death of Dr. Duncan Allison..

Dr. Maclean was followed by Dr. J.E. Bedard, Dr. C.R. Hignell and Dr. Paddy Perrett.

Dr. Reeves was associated with Dr. Colbeck. The Colbeck clinic was very busy for years after the first world war and continued until Dr Colbeck’s death.. Many well known Doctors passed through the Colbeck clinic. Dr. Bill Warner of Toronto, Dr. Bill Moffat of Port Colborne and Dr. T.E. Briant of Welland.

After the outbreak of World War 11 Dr. Maclean joined the air force and became a squadron leader, Dr. Perrett joined the air force and went back to the army. Dr. Myers entered the R.C.A. M.C., was a medical specialist.

Dr Railton . and Dr. Baker joined the R.C.A. M.C. in July 1940.

With the growth of population in Welland due to the war industry there was an acute need for more doctors. During this time Dr. Snelling, Dr. Pakozdy. Dr. Rice, Dr. Speers, and Dr. Singer arrived in Welland.

Dr. Snelling, Dr. Pakozdy and Dr. Bedard joined the army as active medical officers.

Since the last world war many new Doctors arrived in Welland Dr. A.L. Purdon, anaesthetic specialist; Dr. D.C. MacNeill, radiologist; Dr J. Dubois, Dr. G.S.M. Wilson, urologist.

Dr. D.A. Willson; Dr. C.B. Saunders , internist; Dr. E.A. Pylpyuk, surgeon; Dr. J.M. Ennis, pediatrician; Dr. Peter Seed, gynaecologist; Dr. A. Albrich, ophthalmologist;

Dr L. Kuharik, Dr. E. Mellilo; Dr. J.Creighton, Dr. F. Holmes, Dr. J. White. Dr. S. Sikora, Dr. T. Bonney, Dr J. Deyell, surgeon; Dr. M. Patry, Dr. A. Kiss, Dr. H. Danziger, pathologist; Dr. E. Rajnovic pediatrician;.

In Fonthill, Dr. C. Story was associated with the Welland health unit. Dr. R,M. MacDonald, surgeon was associated with Dr. G. Jordan. Dr. L.W. Sturgeon, who served in the R.C.A.F., was the director of the Welland and County health unit.

Early 1930s Elizabeth Smith was the nursing superintendent and hospital administrator. Miss Eve Grodin (Mrs. M.S. Maclean) was O.R. supervisor. Miss Rossi was the x-ray technician, laboratory technician and assistant superintendent. Miss Pearson and later Miss Hatch handled the switchboard and the books.

In 1953 Dr. G.S. Wilson, assisted by a committee composed of Dr. L. Sturgeon, Dr. C.B. Saunders, Dr. A Colpitts and Dr. A.L. Purdon; made a survey which was later followed by a survey done by Dr. Agnew and associates.

In 1958 there was a plan for a new hospital. Construction began at Third and King St for a 250 bed hospital on the site of the former Plymouth Cordage Company.

In 1953 Dr. G.S.M. Wilson placed a report before the medical and surgical advisory committee indicating conditions at the 130 bed hospital were too small and inadequate to serve the growing Welland community.

The boards decision was to erect a new 250 bed—4 million dollar facility. There was much discussion until the Plymouth Cordage lot was accepted. The 14 acre site owned by the former Plymouth Cordage Company was between Plymouth Road and King St.. It was chosen at a cost of $90,000. (plus a $20,000. donation to the new hospital) The site was located on the east side of the canal in the industrial area central to most of the people.

In 1957 construction plans were finalized. There was a federal grant of $600,000. The sod was turned on July 24, 1958. On April 23, 1960 the new Welland county  general hospital was opened.

The original hospital on Riverside Drive was renovated and re-opened to provide accommodation for 82 chronic  patients. It was named the Riverside Annex. The auxiliaries supplied items and support for chronic care patients. They ran a tuck shop and a coffee shop.

The Riverside Annex operated until 1978 when the Woolcott Wing opened at the hospital.

In the 1980s it was turned into apartments.