St. Pauls Hospital

1894

On the outskirts of Vancouver in 1894 seven lots were purchased for 9,000 dollars by the Sisters of Providence and from there St. Paul’s hospital began.  In 1904 the hospital had expanded to 50 beds as a respond to the Klondike gold rush. Then ten years later 120 beds were added along with fire proofing of the building. In the 1930’s more wings were added and the bed count went up to 550. In 1983 and 1991 two ten story towers were added. St. Paul’s was keen on becoming a hospital that was known for technological advances and was one of the first hospitals to have its own X-ray machine in 1906. In 1907 the school of nurses was established as a reaction to shortages in staff. Fourteen young women enlisted and in 1910 11 graduated. Continually training nurses in three year programs the hospital decided in 1970 that training was best left to academic institutions.       

Present

Today St. Paul’s Hospital corners Burrard Street, Comox Street and Thurlow Street.  The original brick building is still incorporated into the present day hospital. As Vancouver has evolved, St. Paul’s has become centered into the heart of Vancouver’s downtown. Today St. Paul’s specializes in HIV/AIDS and Kidney care which relates to the treatment of the disadvantaged that live in the downtown core.  Since 2001 60 million dollars has been given by the Province of British Columbia for upgrades to St. Paul’s Hospital. A Most recent funding project of 17.2 million dollars has been announced in September 22 2011 for further upgrades and expansions. You can find more information at St. Pauls Hospital's website.

Works Cited

  • Memory BC. (2004, October 5). St. Paul's Hospital (Vancouver, B.C.). School of Nursing. Retrieved November 21, 2011, from Memory BC: http://memorybc.ca/st-pauls-hospital-vancouver-b-c-school-of-nursing;isaar
  • Providence Health Care. (2011). Our History. Retrieved November 13, 2011, from Providence Health Care - How you Want to be Treated : http://www.providencehealthcare.org/about_history_stpauls1.html