Page 22 - CambridgeLookingBackNeat

CAMBRIDGE: LOOKING BACK

Hospital as its secretary, dispenser, admitting

and discharging official, treasurer and
continues housekeeper. As a trained nurse, Gibson
also acted as head nurse and utilized the
assistance of two student nurses and a
to create a caretaker to conduct duties. Not surprisingly,
she resigned within five years.
However, according to a local historian
healthier quoted in the 2018 Record article, Gibson’s
contribution helped establish the Galt
community Hospital as a reputable and dependable
institution. Under her watch, hospital use
had greatly multiplied, and expansion plans
were underway resulting in a new wing
opening a year after she resigned. A nurses’
Reliable and accessible cottage was built on the grounds in 1900
healthcare is a key component to and a new X-ray room opened in 1918.
growing a vibrant community. In 1920, a full nurses’ residence with 27
Since making the move to its current rooms was built to replace the original
cottage and was named the Hugh McCulloch
location on Coronation Boulevard in the Memorial Home to recognize his key role
early 1950s, Cambridge Memorial Hospital as a partner in Goldie & McCulloch, for
(formerly known until Cambridge’s establishing the hospital. When he died in
amalgamation in 1973 as South Waterloo 1910, the nurses’ residence was largely paid
Memorial Hospital) has undergone many for by his adult children. The Galt Hospital
enhancements to provide top-notch care to provided hands-on education to 216 nursing
make the community an even better place graduates before its training program ended
to work and live. in 1932.
It’s hard to imagine when the Galt However, as the population grew so did the
Hospital opened in 1890 on a five-acre demands on the hospital and it became quite
site on Sprague’s Road (later named St. clear according to a passage from a book on
Andrew’s Street), local healthcare was Cambridge written by University of Waterloo
not a top priority. According to an article history professor Kenneth McLaughlin. The original 200-acre site was owned THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE ARCHIVES PHOTO
in the Waterloo Record published in 2018 He described the post-Second World War by Andrew Groff, a Pennsylvania-
chronicling the hospital’s history, the situation at Galt Hospital: “Crowded corners, Mennonite, who erected a grist mill,
mandate of most hospitals in the province inadequate equipment and antiquated distillery, sawmill, and tavern and
at that time was to look after ‘charity cases’, facilities in desperate need of replacement. became quite wealthy.
and the transformation to provide better Pediatrics section so crammed that one
medical care thanks to new techniques and could hardly walk between beds… flowers Ontario’s former Lieutenant-Governor,
treatments was gathering momentum when for new mothers frowned up because of a Louis O. Breithaupt, was on hand to
Galt Hospital opened. lack of space.” officially cut the ribbon of the new
health facility in August 1953 to serve
The Galt Hospital Trust (GHT) was formed to Plans for a new hospital fell into place the growing communities of Galt,
oversee the creation of a hospital. Thanks to following the Second World War. According Preston and Hesepler. Its former
the donation of that five-acre site purchased to the Record article, while Preston and home in Galt became the Salvation
and donated by the Goldie & McCulloch Hespeler both erected memorial arenas Army Eventide nursing home until
foundry, a forerunner to Babcock & Wilcox, to commemorate the sacrifices made by 1988 before it was demolished in
the notion of having a local hospital became Canadian soldiers, Galt chose instead to 1992, leaving the site now to be partly
feasible. The GHT helped make it a reality construct the new South Waterloo Memorial occupied by St. Andrew’s Terrace, a
by canvassing local businesses and raised Hospital. With combined contributions long-term care residence.
more than $5,000 to construct the three- between all three communities, the
storey stone building which offered a great township and county, a site along the Around the time its named was changed
view from atop Galt’s west escarpment. Galt-Preston highway (now Coronation to Cambridge Memorial Hospital
The job of running the new hospital Boulevard) already occupied in part by the (CMH) in the early 1970s, the hospital
was bestowed on Elizabeth Gibson, who Galt Country Club, was purchased. underwent its first major expansion
became its first superintendent as well when the Wing B patient care facility
was built.

22 Summer 2023 www.cambridgechamber.com