Glimpses of the old Winnipeg General Hospital

General Hospital on William, U of M Digital collections, H. Kalen fonds

I was at the HSC’s General Hospital section the other day. It's a place of fond memories for me as I spent many years there, starting in my mid-teens as a volunteer, then as an employee of the volunteer department's business wing.

Thanks to my job, I used to know the place like the back of my hand, so when I go back now it is strange to find buildings where exits or parking lots once were. Like layers of an onion, the hospital's oldest buildings go deeper into the core of the complex. 

The interior hallways of the main floor of the General Hospital's various buildings are now a single, generic “hospital hallway” décor and you can no longer tell when you are passing from one building to another. There use to be little hints like the age of office doors or a bit of molding at ceiling level.

I found two little spots on my walk around that show a glimpse into the General Hospital's past.

Through all of the renovations and additions, there is one little section of main floor hallway wall that has been left alone.

This is the elevator lobby for the Winnipeg General Hospital’s huge 1958 "north wing" addition along William Avenue (the photo at the top of this post.)

The Leo Mol bronze, described as a "contemporary representation of compassion", was donated by the White Cross Guild to commemorate the hospital's centennial in 1972 and unveiled in late December.

It contains a biblical phrase, “To heal the broken hearted – to set at liberty them that are bruised", followed by "Dedicated to all those who by their devoted labours and generosity have made it possible for this hospital to serve the community.”

It's unclear if the granite? marble? wall behind the artwork is original to the 1958 building or if it was added for the 1972 unveiling.

The following year, 1973, the General and its surrounding hospitals were amalgamated into the Health Sciences Centre.

Construction of East and West wings, 1913 (HSC Archives)

The other nice sight is a view of the ca. 1914 East Wing from Guildy's Cafe in the Thorlakson Building.

Thorlakson was constructed in the early 1980s facing Sherbrook Street and became the main entrance for the HSC complex. The space that is now Guildy’s Café used to be the HSC gift shop run by the Volunteer Department / White Cross Guild, (that's where its name comes from).

When the cafe was moved into the gift shop space, an inside seating area was created and part of the west wall was replaced with large windows. It provides a nice view from the cafe of the ca. 1914 East Wing  and a wee little courtyard with some benches.