Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg General Hospital / Health Sciences Centre (Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg)

Link to:
Superintendents | Photos & Coordinates | Sources

The Winnipeg General Hospital traces its origins to 1872. Three years later, A. G. B. Bannatyne and Andrew McDermot donated a plot of land in Winnipeg for construction of a 20-bed hospital, erected in 1882. When that building proved insufficient for the needs of the community, Bannatyne and McDermot exchanged it for a larger site—bounded on the east by Olivia Street and on the west by Emily Street, on the south by McDermot Avenue and on the north by William Avenue. The first hospital building, now long gone, was constructed here between 1884 and 1885. Through the years, many more buildings would be constructed as part of the growing hospital.

On 8 October 1924, a brass plaque commemorating four nurses who were killed during service in the First World War was unveiled in the hospital. Originally located on the north wall of the original Bannatyne entrance to the hospital, it was removed during subsequent renovations and has been lost.

A one-storey brick addition to the building, measuring 34 feet by 36 feet, was added in 1937 by W. A. Irish and Company at a cost of about $25,000.

On 1 February 1972, the Winnipeg General Hospital was amalgamated with the Winnipeg Children’s Hospital and Winnipeg Rehabilitation Hospital to become the Health Sciences Centre.

Superintendents

Period	Superintendent
1940-1956	Harry Coppinger (1888-1975)

Assistant Superintendents

Period	Assistant Superintendent
1928-1940	Harry Coppinger (1888-1975)

Photos & Coordinates

Postcard view of the Winnipeg General Hospital (circa 1906) Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2006-0156 Winnipeg General Hospital (c1910) Source: Winnipeg Illustrated, Peels Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Postcard view of the nurses’ residence at the Winnipeg General Hospital (circa 1906) Source: Gordon Goldsborough, 2015-0016 Commemorative bust and plaque for physician Paul Henrik Thorbjorn Thorlakson in the Thorlakson Building of the Health Sciences Centre (February 2023) Source: Glen Toews Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.90327, W97.15865 denoted by symbol on the map above

Nurse Casualities during the First World War

Name	Occupation	Service	Rank	Birth Date	Death Date
Ainslie St. Clair Dagg [Holy Trinity, Next of Kin]	Nursing	15 General Hospital, Canadian Army Medical Corps	Nursing Sister	5 February 1892	29 November 1918
Lenna Mae Jenner	Graduate Nurse	Canadian Army Medical Corps	Nursing Sister	17 November 1889	12 December 1918
Margaret A. Lowe [Binscarth, Russell]	Professional Nurse	1st Canadian General Hospital, Canadian Army Nursing Corps	Nursing Sister	26 January 1886	28 May 1918
Ada Janet Ross [Next of Kin, Selkirk]	Nursing Sister	1st General Hospital, Canadian Army Medical Corps	Nursing Sister	11 August 1878	12 July 1918

See also:

Manitoba Business: W. A. Irish and Company

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Women’s Pavilion / Women’s Hospital (735 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Rehabilitation Hospital (800 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg General Hospital Powerhouse (732 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Municipal Hospital (Morley Street, Winnipeg)

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Alexandra Square / Alexandra Park / Johnston Park (William Avenue, Winnipeg)

Memorable Manitobans: Paul Henrik Thorbjorn Thorlakson (1895-1989)

Sources:

“Memorial to nurses,” Manitoba Free Press, 9 October 1924, page 8.

“Hospital addition,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 February 1937, page 9.

For the names of First World War casualities from Manitoba who do not appear on any physical monument in the province, see the Manitoba Historical Society War Memorial. If you know of a name that is omitted from this list, please contact the MHS War Memorial Researcher Darryl Toews (darryl@mhs.mb.ca).

Soldiers of the First World War - Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.

Canadian Virtual War Memorial, Veterans Affairs Canada.

Financial support for research reported on this page was provided by the Manitoba Heritage Grants Program (2015-2016).

Sacrifice, HSC Archives/Museum.

We thank Glen Toews and Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Darryl Toews.

Page revised: 4 September 2023

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