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Rundle Ruins were the site of Calgary’s second general hospital, the first being a small house where the head nurse was also the cook.The City of Calgary donated $10,000 to the construction of the hospital. It underwent several renovations and additions and was Calgary’s most significant hospital until the third General Hospital was built across the Bow River.

Calgary General Hospital, 1895

Calgary General Hospital, 1895

New General Hospital, 1908

New General Hospital, 1908

Supporters of the preservation of Rundle Lodge erect a billboard to support the fundraiser starring Rich Little to preserve the building, May 1972

Supporters of the preservation of Rundle Lodge erect a billboard to support the fundraiser starring Rich Little to preserve the building, May 1972

Rundle Lodge (second Calgary General Hospital),1961

Rundle Lodge (second Calgary General Hospital),1961

In 1894 the newly minted City of Calgary realized that Calgary was growing faster than their hospital could accommodate. The first General Hospital had been an old run-down house on 7th ave, that was falling apart. The hospital building was a community effort, with prominent citizens such as A.E. Cross and Mrs. Pinkham (the wife of the prominent Bishop Pinkham) fundraising for the hospital. The first donation was not from any prominent businessmen but rather from Jimmy Smith, a Chinese businessman who was well known and loved in the community. Smith donated $1,000 to build the new hospital upon his death in 1890. They were built in sandstone in a simplified Romanesque style typical of the 1900's. The ruins you see here today are from the second Calgary General Hospital built-in 1894. The new facility boasted 35 beds, an operating room, a nursing school, along with electricity and a telephone. To meet the city’s growing demands, the hospital was enlarged several times, a maternity wing in 1899, and a two-story ward in 1903, and another maternity ward in 1905. However, by 1908 it was clear that the hospital could not keep up with the growing city, and a new facility was built across the Bow River. The old sandstone general was used as an “isolation” hospital for the chronically ill until 1954 when an isolation ward was built at the new general. The building was then turned into a senior’s retirement home. In 1971 the old general was on the wrecking block, and one of Calgary’s biggest heritage debates began. The province deemed the building unimportant despite its heritage, and protests from local citizens and demolition followed. In 1974 public park was opened by then Premier Peter Lougheed grandson of Sir James Lougheed, who had laid one of the cornerstones of the hospital 80 years earlier. Today the ruins have been turned into a park popular with graduating students to get their pictures taken.

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Image Sources(Click to expand)

NA-2358-1 used with permission by the Glenbow Archives

pc_790, Post Cards from the Past Collection, Calgary Public Library

NA-2864-21088 used with permission by the Glenbow Archives

aj_0143, Alison Jackson Photograph Collection, Calgary Public Library