A Century of Care

Since its foundation in 1924, St. Mary’s Hospital Centre has been a haven for community Healthcare on a Human Scale. As a primary and secondary care hospital located in one of the most densely populated and multicultural neighbourhoods of the city, generations of Montrealers have turned to us in confidence for their medical needs. We are known for our outstanding whole person care, our commitment to excellence in research and teaching, as well as our culture rooted in empathy and inclusivity – a legacy we are determined to honour as we enter our second century.

Here are some important milestones in St. Mary’s history:

St. Mary’s Hospital opened its doors in 1924, in the original Shaughnessy House on René-Lévesque (then Dorchester Boulevard). During those early days, the Hospital was run by Catholic nuns who pioneered the notion of “whole person care,” a philosophy grounded in devotion to each patient (no matter their faith, ethnicity, or economic background) and to the community at large.

As the Hospital outgrew its surroundings, a young surgeon named Donald Hingston rallied the Irish philanthropists of the day. He raised an unprecedented $1,000,000 during the Great Depression to build the current site nestled in the heart of Côte-des-Neiges.

In June 1933, the inauguration of the Hospital cornerstone takes place in an open field in Côte-des-Neiges. In 1934, following months of construction, St. Mary’s opens its doors at 3830 Lacombe Avenue.

The postwar era ushered in a more sophisticated understanding of medical techniques. Among its areas of specialization, St. Mary’s quickly established itself as a first-rate maternity hospital, delivering 1,458 babies (including the first set of triplets in the province)!

A new residence is built to accommodate 108 nursing students. The nationally renowned  Nursing School was run by the Grey Nuns and then the Sisters of Providence for almost 50 years.

The country’s first hemophilia centre for adults with the bleeding disease opened at St. Mary’s under the direction of blood specialist Dr. Cecil Harris.

St. Mary’s oculoplastic surgeon Dr. Marvin Kwitko and his team pioneer modern cataract surgery in Canada by performing the first intraocular lens implants in the country.

Oncologist Dr. Peter Gruner, works with Dr. Charles Pick to set up St. Mary’s first Interdisciplinary Oncology Unit to coordinate the multidisciplinary care of cancer patients. It becomes the model for similar units throughout Canada.

The Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Community Studies, spearheaded by Dr. Jane McCusker, was established to support research at St. Mary’s and strengthen the Hospital’s academic position. It eventually became St. Mary’s Research Centre in 2010.

St. Mary’s Hospital laboratories were the first to operate a fully automated chain in Québec. The implementation of testing samples being run along a robotic line rather than manually led to an outstanding improvement in quality and efficiency and produced faster results.

St. Mary’s receives official ministerial designation as a McGill University affiliated teaching hospital, strengthening our role in setting standards for excellence in research, teaching and patient-care of the highest quality.

Our Emergency Department is recognized as being one of the most efficient in the province and receives the “Coup de Coeur” award from the Minister of Health and Social Services for having maintained the lowest level of congestion for the whole Montreal region.

St. Mary’s became the first hospital on the island of Montréal to obtain the “Baby-Friendly Hospital” accreditation from the WHO and UNICEF. The “Baby-Friendly Hospital” Initiative is an international program that recognizes the provision of optimal clinical care to new mothers and their infants.

St. Mary’s is proud to be Canada’s first hospital facility to receive the EcoLogo Program’s Environmental Stewardship Award, presented to organizations in recognition of their environmentally friendly actions.

Researchers at St. Mary’s Research Centre develop a new technology called Advanced Crew Medical System (ACMS), an ambitious and comprehensive medical support system designed for spaceflight. Aimed to provide medical care for crews during long-duration missions to destinations such as the moon, Mars, and beyond, this technology can also be used to improve access to healthcare here on Earth.

St. Mary’s acquired the first hospital-based surgical robot in Québec. Dubbed “RoSA“, the Robotic Surgical Assistant aids surgeons in meticulously planning and executing knee and hip replacements, resulting in heightened precision and enhanced patient outcomes. Today, St. Mary’s Orthopaedic team performs the highest volume of joint replacement surgeries in Québec annually

Our doors will always be open so long as we have a community to serve. However, we need YOUR help to ensure that St. Mary’s remains at the leading edge of medicine and community care.

As the world undergoes profound social, demographic, and technological changes, our Hospital will require investments in the following key “pillars” of progress:

• Modernizing our Legacy Building
• Designing the “Senior-Friendly” Community Hospital of the Future
• Advancing Women’s Health
• Training the Next Generation of Healthcare Professionals
• …and more to come!

On this momentous anniversary, we encourage you to follow us on social media (@stmarysMTL) and subscribe to our newsletter for updates on Hospital news and the many Centennial celebrations planned in 2024.

We would also be most grateful if you considered making a donation below. Every gift – no matter how big or small – is a meaningful investment in the Next Century of Care at St. Mary’s.