Our History   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Five Catholic Founding Congregations of Sisters (Extended Histories) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL + the Sisters of Providence Holy Family Hospital was founded in 1947 by the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul, who came to Vancouver from Kingston, Ontario at the invitation of Archbishop William Duke of the Vancouver diocese. Three Sisters arrived by train and took up residence on five acres of land on the corner of 62nd and Argyle. At the time, the neighborhood was little more than a mud trail through wooded farmlands and wilderness. The land came with a five-bedroom house, which the Sisters immediately converted into a nursing home for elderly women. Once the first establishment was in operation, a second lot of land was purchased for ongoing development. The Sisters, whose philosophy was to never turn anyone away, managed to accommodate 15 to 23 patients at a time in the original five-bedroom home. Their doors were always open. Needless to say, it was extremely crowded. Yet the Sisters' ability to manage the home as a self-sustaining operation was nothing short of miraculous. They worked hard night and day, tending the farm, cooking the scarce amounts of food reaped from the land or donated by generous benefactors, and laundering linens and clothes with antiquated equipment, including tubs and wash boards. They even sold lilies of the valley, which covered the two lots of land, to raise funds for patient care. As Vancouver's population of elderly people increased, more spacious and modern living facilities were needed. An early attempt to expand the nursing home failed in 1950 due to lack of funds. Undaunted, the Sisters continued to pursue their goal, and in 1953 a 52-bed facility was built on the north side of the larger lot facing 62nd and Argyle. By this time, the growing need for rehabilitation of the elderly was becoming obvious and the Ministry of Health granted the Sisters a mandate to focus on the rehabilitation of arthritis and stroke patients. Beginning in 1953 the hospital received government funding, although it continued to run as a privately owned organization. By 1955, the rehabilitation program was fully under way, with physiotherapists, recreation and occupational therapists, social workers, speech pathologists and nursing staff. As patient needs expanded, so did the services provided. In the 1970s, in the face of an expanding community (due in part to paved streets) and in recognition of the need for different levels of care for the elderly, Holy Family expanded once again. In 1976 a combined extended care and rehabilitation facility was completed, raising the number of rehab and extended care beds to 80 and 150 respectively. A year later, an ambulatory rehabilitation program for seniors was implemented. In 1994 the program was enhanced with the addition of the “Easy Street Environments,” the first installation of the program in British Columbia, and only the fifth in Canada. In 1997, Holy Family Hospital, now recognized as a provincial leader in the multidisciplinary care of older people, joined with the other seven Catholic health care facilities in the Vancouver/Richmond region to form Providence Health Care. The Mission and Vision of our new organization illustrate our ongoing commitment to recognize the dignity and worth of every person and to provide quality, compassionate, holistic care to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those we serve. In doing so, we will maintain the spirit of our founding Sisters. << Back << The Five Catholic Founding Congregations of Sisters
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