Community
A hospital built to remember 3 young men lost to war
Here is another in a series of 3 stories that bring perspective to our local military history. Michael Dawe explains the history of the Red Deer Memorial Hospital.
The origins of the Red Deer Hospital go back to the beginning of the last century. Great Britain and her colonies became embroiled in the Boer War in South Africa. A number of young men from Red Deer and area went overseas to fight for the Empire.
On July 1, 1900, 22-year old Angus Jenkins of Red Deer was killed near Watervaal when his outfit was ambushed by a group of Boers. He was the first Red Deer resident and the first member of the Lord Strathcona Horse to be killed in action. Shortly thereafter, the community learned of the death of Archibald McNichol. In September, word came that Charles Cruickshanks had been killed near Bad Fontein.
On October 21, 1900, a large public service was held at the Methodist Church in memory of these three young men. At a subsequent public meeting, it was decided to build a hospital as a permanent memorial to them.
Early in 1901, an eight-member hospital board was formed with George W. Greene, a local lawyer, as the first chair. A public fundraising campaign was launched.
The board was given the money which had been collected at the memorial service for the Patriotic Fund. By January 1902, $1100 in pledges had been collected in the community. Lord Strathcona sent a cheque for another $1000.
The Victorian Order of Nurses promised $2000 and donated the plans and specifications for a 13-bed facility. Later, the hospital board passed a resolution officially affiliating the hospital with the V.O.N.
Initially, the board wanted to build the hospital on a site on the north side of the river, east of the Gaetz Avenue traffic bridge. However, Edward Michener and John T. Moore offered generous financial assistance towards the purchase of property on the top of the South Hill. In the spring of 1903, work began on this site.
The pace of construction was slow. Work on the superstructure did not get underway until August. There was a continual shortage of funds. Town Council was asked for an exemption from taxes and either a donation of money or a loan. In response, Council offered to pay off, with a donation of labour, any debt left after the completion of construction.
Finally, in April 1904, the building was ready for occupancy. A member of the V.O.N., Miss Wright, was hired as matron with a salary of $50 per month. The hospital board set the admission fees for patients at $7 for public wards and $10 for private rooms. Patients were expected to supply their own medicines and surgical dressings.
The first patient, W.N. Snider, was admitted to the hospital with a case of typhoid fever on the same day that the matron arrived for work. He unfortunately suffered a relapse and passed away on July 7th. On April 25th, Dr. Henrietta Denovan, assisted by her husband Dr. Howard Denovan, performed the first surgical operation. On May 3rd, the hospital board established a fee schedule for the use of the operating room.
The Women’s Hospital Aid Society gave the hospital a tremendous boost in raising funds to furnish the building. In October 1904, a young women’s organization, the Alexandra Club, was formed to also support the hospital. One of their more successful fundraising ideas was the creation of women’s hockey teams, the Stars and the Skookums.
The hospital board raised additional funds by selling “admittance tickets” at a rate of $5 per year for individuals and $10 annually for families. Local businesses were offered this form of hospital insurance for their employees at a cost of $1 per month per person.
Red Deer, although still a small town of only 1000 residents, now had the only hospital between Calgary and Edmonton.
Read about our region’s connection to the Lord Strathcona’s Horse.
L to R: Cindy Jefferies, Susan Knopp, Lane Tomalty, Bre Fitzpatrick
Photo credit: The SnapHappy Photographer
After a decade of leadership under Cindy Jefferies and Susan Knopp, 100+ Women Who Care Red Deer (100+ WWCRD) is proud to celebrate 10 years of supporting local charities and the announcement of Bre Fitzpatrick and Lane Tomalty as its new co-leaders. This marks an exciting new chapter for the group, which has made a significant impact on not-for-profit organizations in Central Alberta.
Cindy and Susan have led 100+ WWCRD with vision, dedication, and a commitment to empowering women to lead and inspire change. Under their stewardship, the organization has raised over $630,000 for local charities by hosting 4 annual 1-hour meetings. Since 2015, more than 36 local charities have received funding through the group.
Reflecting on their tenure, Cindy and Susan stated:
“Leading 100 Women has been an honour and a privilege. When we began this journey, we didn’t know where it would go – we simply loved the simple, elegant, and fun ‘100 Who Care’ concept and thought it was a great fit for our community. We are grateful to the many women who have stood with us. They are the magic of the organization! We are confident Bre and Lane will steward this leadership role well and we look forward to supporting it – just not from behind the microphone!”
Bre and Lane bring a dynamic energy and fresh perspective to the organization. Both have been involved with the group and have been mentored by Susan and Cindy over the past year. They are eager to continue the collaboration, connection, and local support this team of women have established in Red Deer.
In their joint statement, Bre and Lane shared:
“We are humbled to step into this role and build on the incredible foundation Cindy and Susan have laid. Many needs are at the doorstep of our community and in the hearts and minds of our members. We know a powerful, caring, and united group of individuals can play a huge role in driving change and breaking barriers.
To celebrate this milestone and leadership transition, the 100+ WWCRD hosted the final meeting of 2024 on November 25th at the Red Deer Golf and Country Club. The evening featured reflections from Cindy and Susan, the selection of the Salvation Army as the charity of choice, an opportunity for members to connect with Bre and Lane as they outline their vision for the organization’s next chapter, and a toast to 10 years.
For more information, please visit www.100womenreddeer.ca
About 100+ Women Who Care Red Deer
100+ Women Who Care Red Deer is a network of compassionate, empowered, and dedicated women who make a direct, immediate, and positive impact in Red Deer and area. We support local non-profit and charitable organizations that work every day to make our community a better place to live. 100% of funds donated go to the selected charities – there are no
administration fees, and all costs are covered by the generosity of sponsors. Collectively, we make a difference.
The group meets 4 times annually for 1 hour. Non-profit and charitable organizations are nominated by members. After hearing 3 randomly drawn pitches, the members vote to select their top choice. The group with the highest number of votes receives the members’ donations. Each member or team commits to donating $100 at each meeting. Since 2015, the average raised has been more than $15,000 per meeting.
Membership is open to all women In Red Deer and area. We invite you to join us! The first meeting of 2025 will be on Monday, February 3, 2025.
Founded in February 2015, the organization currently has about 150 members. We are committed to uniting this powerful group of 100+ women who care and lifting the amazing non-profits and charitable groups they support.
Festival of Trees tickets are on sale now! Get ’em while they’re hot!
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