Mater Misericordiae Hospital

1897 - 2004

2366.0118: Columbia Avenue, 1895.

Between 1894 and 1896, Rossland grew from a disorganized mining camp into one of British Columbia’s premier cities.  Although it had an opera house, numerous saloons and breweries, and a number of first-class hotels, Rossland did not have a sufficient hospital.

In April 1896, Reverend A. Lemay of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church wrote to the Sisters of St. Joseph, asking them to establish a hospital in Rossland. In agreement, Sisters Theresa and Stanislaus embarked on a two-day journey from Fairhaven, Washington to Rossland. Upon their arrival on July 22, 1896, the Sisters immediately began collecting donations to build a new hospital.  In total, they raised $2,387 (approximately $75,000 in 2023).

On November 3, 1896, less than three-months after their arrival, the Sisters of St. Joseph oversaw the opening of a new hospital. A two-story building, originally meant for a general store, was leased for the hospital. It was located on Columbia Avenue (Block 42, Lot 8), near the present location of the Rossland Public Library. The layout consisted of a medical and surgical ward on the ground floor, patient rooms on the second floor, and a chapel in the attic. The hospital had a capacity of thirty patients.

 

Mater Misericordiae (“Mater Mis”) Opened

2355.0020: Mater Misericordiae Hospital, located on Columbia Avenue and Georgia Street, circa 1897.

After six-months of operation, the hospital’s rent was increased from $100 to $250 per month (approximately $3,000 and $8,000 in 2023). Instead of paying the exorbitantly high rent, the Sisters of St. Joseph decided to construct their own hospital. Located at Columbia Avenue and Georgia Street, construction of Mater Miserircordiae began on April 12, 1897, and was completed two-months later. The Sisters took possession of the new hospital, named Mater Misericordiae (Latin for Mother of Mercy), on June 4, 1897. It was initially staffed by eight Sisters, two nurses, an orderly, and a cook. Dr. Bowes was hired as the Chief Surgeon and Sister Teresa Kiernan was appointed Sister Superior.

Transferring patients from the old hospital to Mater Misericordiae was not an easy feat.  Although it was only three blocks away, Mater Misericordiae was up a steep hill, and there were no ambulances or other modern transportation options available.  Instead, patients were pushed in wheelchairs.  If a patient had a spine injury and could not sit upright, they were transported via a wooden cart.  Thankfully, the Rossland Miner announced on June 6, 1897, that “The Sisters of Peace completed moving into their new quarters yesterday.  All the patients were moved without an accident.”

In January 1898, Sister Superior Kiernan, with the help of reputable Rosslanders such as Mayor H.S. Wallace and Alderman Ross Thompson, applied for an annual operating grant of $4,000 (approximately $125,000 in 2023).  The hospital received the grant from the Provincial Government with the contingency that a government representative be placed on Mater Misericordiae’s board.  The grant significantly improved the hospital’s finances, but as mining started to dwindle, the hospital had to come up with alternative ways to raise money.  One example of this was a three-day fundraising event at the Miners’ Union Hall in November 1899, where the Sisters raised $2,168 (approximately $68,000 in 2023).

 

+ Expansions & Renovations

In 1899, following the fundraising campaign, the Sisters of St. Joseph purchased a neighbouring tract of land (totalling seven city lots) and used a portion to create an outdoor space for patients. An addition to the hospital was built in 1921, which included a new addition with three floors, fourteen rooms, and a chapel.

In 1938, Mater Misericordiae began a large expansion, which required a loan from the Nelson Bank, and donations from the Consolidated Mining & Smelting Company (CM&S), West Kootenay Power & Light Company (WKPL), and the City of Trail. This expansion consisted of a new fireproof wing, with upgraded administration, surgical, obstetrical, paediatric, and laboratory rooms. It also included a Westinghouse-Turnbull elevator, the first of its kind in Rossland. A modern nurses’ residence was also built, decorated with furnishings donated by Selwyn Blaylock (General Manager of CM&S). As a thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Blaylock were served tea by the nurses at the residence.

In 1952-1953, an additional fireproof wing was added, which included new kitchens, a nurses’ dining room, and a laundry facility.

 

End of an Era

2294.0022: Farewell reception to the Sisters of St. Joseph, May 25, 1969. Pictured: Sisters Francis Joseph, Casimier, Edgar, Anne Marie, Stephan, Dr. Harrigan, and Mayor Harold Elmes.

In 1968, the Sisters of St. Joseph announced that they were handing over the administration of Mater Misericordiae to the Provincial Government. Their decision was based on a shortage of Sisters to staff the hospital. Mater Misericordiae was officially turned over on June 1, 1969. To honour the Sisters of St. Joseph for their years of service, a special High Mass was held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, followed by a reception at the MacLean School auditorium.

From 1969 to 2004, Mater Misericordiae continued to operate under the control of the Provincial Government. During this era, the hospital became known as the Mater Misericordiae Health Care Facility. It remained a fully operational hospital but transitioned from providing short-term care to long-term care services. In June 2004, after 108 years as a hospital, Mater Misericordiae Hospital was formally closed and the remaining twenty-nine patients were transferred to the Trail Hospital.

 
“Playing outside the hospital was a regular activity. There were quite a few kids in our neighbourhood and we played games like Run Sheep Run or Wave In, And Wave Out. These games required a lot of space in which to run and hide and the hospital building and adjoining “nurses’ home” had lots of nooks and crannies where we could disappear. At this time lacrosse balls, made from good rubber with a nice bounce, were a very popular play item for girls. We took our balls with us where ever we went so that any opportunity to bounce them would not be missed. It seems it was the boy’s game to take the balls away from us! One of our favourite places to play was in the ambulance bay bouncing the ball off the wall of the hospital. Wall and ground were concrete and the ball bounced really well. We couldn’t have been too much of a nuisance as I don’t recall anyone ever sending us away.
”
— A Walk About Rossland, 1945-1961 - Memories of Lesley Anderson
 

Check out this collection of recently-digitized negatives!

These never-before-seen negatives were digitized between December 2022 and May 2023, and feature a number of images of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Mater Misericordiae staff, and Mater Misericordiae grounds.

 

+ Mater Misericordiae Hospital Auxiliary

The Mater Misericordiae Hospital Auxiliary was formed in May 1938, at the request of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Sister Lelia was made Honorary President and M. Mara was made President. Initially, the Auxiliary’s role was to assist the hospital with fundraising, sewing textiles, and producing surgical dressings. In 1947, the Auxiliary became a member of the BC Association of Healthcare Auxiliaries.

In 1958, the Mater Misericordiae Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store was opened on Columbia Avenue. The thrift store was relocated in 1976 after the purchase of the present location on Washington Street. With the help of dedicated Auxiliary members, their families, and a Heritage Grant, many improvements have been made to the building on Washington Street. Today, they continue to operate the thrift store, which is now renamed the Rossland Health Care Auxiliary Thrift Store. The Thrift Store is the Auxiliary's main source of revenue and remains open due to a dedicated group of volunteers. In 2004, the hospital closed and the Auxiliary changed their name to the Rossland Health Care Auxiliary Society. Since then, the majority of funds raised by the Auxiliary has gone to health care facilities in Trail, particularly the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH).

As of October 2017, the Auxiliary has donated over $1,000,000 to the KBRH Health Foundation. The Auxiliary also donates to a number of other initiatives and organisations, such as the Rossland Search and Rescue, the Rossland and Trail food banks, and the Greater Trail Hospice Society. Each year, the Auxiliary also rewards students in the medical field with bursaries and scholarships.

Members of the Rossland Health Care Auxiliary Society. Image: Rossland News, May 9, 2023.

 

Exhibit Update (April 2023)

Come and visit the Museum to view our recently-updated Mater Misericordiae Hospital exhibit! The exhibit, which had not been updated in decades, includes a modernized layout, added interpretation, and previously undisplayed artifacts, such as the Mater Misericordiae plaque.

You can also visit our Community Portal to view a number of artifacts from Mater Misericordiae!

Further Reading:

Sources:

  • BC Association of Healthcare Auxiliaries.

  • Mater Misericordiae Hospital Collection. Collection of the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre.

  • Rossland Miner. Collection of the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre.

  • Rossland News.

  • Rossland Record. Collection of the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre.

  • Rossland Telegraph.

  • Trail Daily Times. Collection of the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre.

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Contribute your own memories/experiences of the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, the Sisters of St. Joseph, and/or the Hospital Auxiliary:

The form below will email us your message. If you prefer to speak to us directly or have other questions or comments about this page, please call (250) 362-7722 or email the archives directly at archives@rosslandmuseum.ca.