Queen Victoria Hospital

We're working on a new exhibit on Queen Victoria Hospital, and the opening will be on Saturday, June 20 at 2 pm. We have a little surprise we found lurking in the basement of the museum, and it will be a special feature of the exhibit. Anybody born in Revelstoke between 1913 and 1970 was most likely born in the old brick Queen Victoria Hospital, so it still brings back a lot of memories for past residents.

The exhibit will dwell a little bit on the other hospitals as well, including the private hospital opened by Dr. McKechnie and Dr. Jeffs in 1897. It was located in a house at the top of Douglas Street hill, and it could only accommodate 7 patients. One of the first patients was a man who was working in one of the sawmills in the area. He was in the hospital with a broken leg when his fiancee arrived on the train from the east. expecting to meet up with her man and get married. When she discovered that he was in hospital, she arranged for a minister to come there with her to perform a bedside wedding.

In 1902, the Queen Victoria Cottage Hospital was built where Cooper's and Alpine Village Mall are now located. The hospital fronted onto First Street, and was built in cooperation with the Victorian Order of Nursing, who provided the first nurses and some much needed funding for construction. The first Matron was Miss Elsie Mackinnon of Prince Edward Island, who only worked at the hospital for a year before marrying T.D. Kilpatrick, local CPR Superintendent and President of the Revelstoke Hospital Board. Mr. Kilpatrick had to endure a great deal of good natured ribbing for depriving the hospital of the Matron. At that time, married women did not work in professions, because of course, once you were married, you had the noblest profession of all: housewife and mother! ;)

The brick Queen Victoria Hospital opened in 1913 and was in use until February of 1971. We welcome memories, photos and stories about the hospital. Come in and see the new exhibit, and add your stories to our memory board.