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Marpole Women's Auxiliary to George Pearson Centre and GF Strong Rehab Centre was established in 1938 in Vancouver, British Columbia to support The Marpole Infirmary located in an area of Vancouver referred to as Marpole.

History

In 1938, when Miss. C.M. Motherwell took over as Matron of the Infirmary, she was appalled at the dressing conditions and low morale that existed. Realizing the pressing need for an auxiliary to help alleviate these conditions, she invited Mesdames Rose, Woodward, Grinnell and Strong to have lunch at the Infirmary and it was during this Luncheon that Marpole Women's Auxiliary was born.

These four women invited friends to join and were amazed at the interest and enthusiastic response they encountered. Miss Motherwell served as the guiding light and moving spirit in their endeavours. Mrs. Strong served as the first president and a quotation from her 1938-41 report sums up better than anything just how dedicated these early pioneers were:

"Many times while at the home I felt I couldn't take it - then I would see Miss Motherwell's cheeriness

and serenity and felt that if she could take it day after day we certainly could carry on. It has

been gratifying beyond words to watch a mental attitude of liveliness and interest begin to take the

place of the patient's previous apathy, and their appreciation for the things we have done has been

expressed in many ways, not so much in words as by the pressure of the hand or a look. It is hard

to see so many things crying to be done - our exchequer is definitely not up to the requirements but

with patience and hard work we will eventually make this place - maybe not a haven but a better place

to be in."

Provincial Infirmary

The Provincial Infirmary has been established in 1937 to take care of those people who required institutional care for chronic diseases, many of an incurable nature, but who would not benefit from treatment offered in a general or special hospital. Patients came from all parts of the province and after being screened through the Vancouver General Hospital or Maple Ridge Hospital at Haney, BC were sent to one of three branches:

• Marpole Infirmary at Vancouver with 124 beds for both male and female ambulatory cases
• Allco Infirmary at Haney with 84 beds for ambulatory men
• Mount St. Mary Hospital in Victoria with 90 beds for both male and female bed cases. These beds were under contract from the Sisters of St. Anne and the Auxiliary did not extend aid to these patients.

Marpole Infirmary

The building stood at he corner of Hudson and SW Marine Drive, then one of Vancouver's busiest suburban traffic centres. It was built in 1912 as a hotel and in 1917 was taken over by the Vancouver General Hospital as a home for incurables when wounded veterans were returning from World War One. The provincial Government took it over in 1923 as a temporary measure until a new institution could be built.

The building was most unsatisfactory in every way -- dark, noisy and overcrowded. Bed patients could not see out the windows, there was no provision made for bed lamps and privacy was an unheard of luxury. Following a visit to the Infirmary in January, 1947 a Vancouver Province reported described it thus:

"There are a lot of things wrong with the Marpole Infirmary...the building is a firetrap and at a recent

fire drill it took thirty minutes to evacuate all the patients. There are no proper facilities for the

treatment of the patients. There is no resident doctor, no full-time physiotherapist, no dietician

no laboratory, no space to use what sketchy equipment is available. For treatment of all cases the infirmary

offers: one small medical room equipped with one infra-red and one ultra-violet ray lamp, a

circulex machine, one microscope, a sterilizer, a wooden examination table and a medical cabinet. There

is one bathroom for forty-four patients on the first floor, two for sixty on the second floor, three for

for forty women patients on the top floor. It was stated a year ago that the Marpole Infirmary lacked

decent privacy for either living or dying on medical, economic and humanitarian grounds it should

be replaced."

Allco Infirmary

Bad as the conditions were at Marpole, they were even worse at the Allco Infirmary at Haney. It consisted of a series of huts, once the logging camp of the Abernethy Lougheed Logging Company, and later used by the City of Vancouver as a relief camp for the medically unfit.

The Provincial Government took it over in 1935 and in 1942 it became a branch of the Provincial Infirmary. Men of all ages suffering from chronic or incurable ailments were sent out there away from family and friends and were provided with little else but shelter and food. There was a twenty-bed hospital unit for the more seriously handicapped but medical treatment and therapy were at a minimum. In January, 1947 a report described it best when she said -- "Surely one of Canada's strangest and most primitive hospitals".

Marpole Women's Auxiliary 1946 presentation to the Government

The Government's neglect of these elderly and chronically sick people was perhaps understandable during the war years but in 1946 the Auxiliary made personal representations and presented a brief to the Government describing the appalling conditions and asking for a new 500 bed institution to replace the scattered units then operating.

The presentation of this brief alerted the newspapers to the conditions in the infirmaries and there appeared a spate of editorials condemning the Government of this supposedly enlightened province for allowing these conditions to exist. The clamor became so insistent that finally some members in Victoria were moved to comment on the need for new facilities. One member went so far as to actually visit Marpole Infirmary and was visibly shaken by what he saw.

Early in the spring of 1947 the Minister of Finance announced that money had been set aside and plans were being drawn up for a new hospital but when the budget came down there was no mention of such funds or plans and there the matter rested.

It wasn't until May, 1964 that the Allco patients were transferred to Pearson Hospital and those from the Marpole Infirmary in April of the following year.

Pearson Hospital

The staff at Pearson Hospital were notified late in 1963 that the patients in the three infirmaries were now its responsibility. By April, 1965 all the patients had been transferred into Pearson and it was quite a task getting them all settled and getting the Marpole Infirmary staff and the Pearson Hospital staff working together harmoniously and efficiently. Some of the patients came to Pearson with some fear that they would not like their new surroundings, but in a very short time all of them settled down and appeared quite happy.

The next year presented quite a number of difficulties, as the Activity Wing had not been built and the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Departments were handicapped because of lack of working space. The Auxiliary was influential in obtaining the Activity Wing and this helped greatly in the care of extended care patients.

Marpole Women's Auxiliary Early Donations to Pearson Hosptial

During the year 1965 the Auxiliary provided at least half of the Physiotherapy and Occupational Thereapy equpiment that was required and much of this was transferred to the Activity Wing when it opened in 1966. In addition to the above, four wheechairs were provided and these were sturdy chairs with removable arm rests so that the patients could be moved to and from their beds fairly easily. The Auxiliary provided a fund of $400 to Dr. Stalker, which they replenished when necessary, and this was used for small urgent matters that came up from time to time such as film for pictures, movies of various events taking place, buying paper for Pearsonality monthly paper, urgent needs for patients, or a treat for all patients such as candies with meals on special occasions.

Over the years various services and much equipment has been provided by the Auxiliary for use of patients, such as:

• In 1965 a hairfressing service was arranged for women patients. It was a morale builder and appreciated.
• In 1967 electric wheel chairs were provided, six to begin with, and during the next year one or two extra were added.
• In 1967 a stand-alone was obtained.
• A shuffle board for the Polio patients was also provided in 1967.
• A portable stereo record player was obtained and placed in the care of the Librarian to beloaned to patients for a week or ten days at a time.
• The bus to hold 16 patients in wheelchairs was the main budget item in 1968 and although there was some delay in its arrival, when it did come it provided a unique and delifhtful service.
• A washer, dryer and iron were provided in 1968 and were used for washing hoist slings and other small items which were difficult to send to the laundry.
• Washer-dryer machines for the patients were bought in 1969 along with a Dromayar Ultra Violet water-cooled lamp that was used for small wounds or sores in areas difficult to get at, particularly bed sores.
• An organ for entertainment.
• In 1969 seven colour television sets were donated.
• Alternating pressure mattresses were donated for use in special cases.
• Three or four combination wheelchair stretchers were donated in 1970 and were very useful for patients so weak taht they requed much help in transferring from their beds.
• A heavy duty electric typewriter was provided for the Occupational Therapy Deparment and proved so useful that a second one was added in 1970.
• Christmas menus are provided for the patients and the Auxiliary donated $75 each year to the Staff Christmas Coffee Break.

External links

• example.com