The medical history of this site, at the northwest corner of Salter Street and and Pritchard Avenue in Winnipeg, dates to 1909 when Polish physician Boleslaw Gerzabek established a private hospital here, in his two-storey residence at 417 Pritchard.
By 1920, Gerzabek's hospital had been enlarged and equipped with modern equipment to treat pulmonary, heart, stomach, intestinal, kidney, nervous, children’s, and women’s conditions. Its daily operating hours were 9 to 12 AM, 3 to 6 PM, and 7 to 9 PM, but only 9 to 12 AM on Sundays.
In 1923, the hospital was taken over by the Sisters of St. Joseph from Toronto who converted it into a general hospital with a school of nursing. Three years later, a three-storey addition measuring 46 feet by 102 feet was designed by local architect Edward Parkinson and constructed by the Sutherland Construction Company at a cost of about $118,560. It had 75 beds, bringing the total to 125.
Declining use, increasing costs, and the need for major repairs caused the hospital to close in September 1953. The SIsters of St. Josephs pledged to maintain the building for use as a hospital for elderly and chronic patients.
Period
Chief of Staff
1923-1937
James McKenty (1866-1940)
Gerzabek's private hospital (1913)
Source: Manitoba Free Press, 1 March 1913, page 58.
St. Joseph’s Hospital (May 2019)
Source: Nathan Kramer
St. Joseph’s Hospital (October 2022)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
St. Joseph’s Hospital (October 2022)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
St. Joseph’s Hospital (October 2022)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
St. Joseph’s Hospital (May 2019)
Source: Nathan KramerSite Location (lat/long): N49.91553, W97.14142
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Edward Parkinson (1878-1953)
Manitoba Business: Sutherland Construction Company
“Cosmopolitan Winnipeg. VI. The Slavonic People,” Manitoba Free Press, 1 March 1913, page 58.
“Polish lecturer speaks of hygiene,” Manitoba Free Press, 10 February 1915, page 36.
“Dr. B. G. Gerzabek’s private hospital ...,” Winnipeg Tribune, 10 October 1919, page 23.
“Dr. Gerzabek's hospital ...,” Manitoba Free Press, 16 July 1923, page 16.
“Excavation work started for $100,000 wing to St. Joseph’s Hospital,” Winnipeg Tribune, 5 May 1926, page 1.
“Banana warehouse is completed and in use,” Manitoba Free Press, 13 May 1926, page 7.
“Permits for big recidences issued today,” Winnipeg Tribune, 28 May 1926, page 1.
“Sisters take over St. Joseph’s in 1925; established in 1918,” Winnipeg Tribune, 11 May 1938, page 13.
“Many factors decide closing of St. Joseph's,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 September 1953, page 4.
“When trouble came St. Joseph’s helped” by Vince Leah, Winnipeg Tribune, 16 June 1979, page 37.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough, Nathan Kramer, Jordan Makichuk, and Kenneth Ingram.
Page revised: 30 December 2024
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherInclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.Help us keep history alive!
