A local hospital will tip its hat to its colourful past with a birthday event on Saturday.
Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare is recognizing the 100th anniversary of Grace Hospital, a product of an expansion of early 20th-century health care made possible by the Salvation Army.
An anniversary event is set for Saturday morning at the HDGH campus on Prince Road. Elected officials from the municipal and provincial levels are expected to attend, along with representatives from HDGH and the Salvation Army.
The system that became HDGH has been around since 1883 when the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph's (RHSJ) established Windsor's first hospital. It provided care for the disenfranchised and less fortunate. As the area grew, so did the need for quality healthcare. Enter the Salvation Army.
"In 1920, Frederick Martin, an officer with the Salvation Army, recognized Windsor’s potential and growing need for healthcare service, expanding on the already established Hôtel-Dieu of St. Joseph’s," read the history on the official HDGH website. "With his guidance and passion, he helped establish Grace Hospital."
Despite the changes in the local health care industry over the years, HDGH pointed out in its history that its core principles of compassionate, faith-based care have not changed.
"Physically, our location has changed but the unwavering commitment to the values and mission established through the visionary work of our founding bodies, The RHSJ and Salvation Army, remain a steady constant," read the history. "We are a hospital of over 1,100 employees with the vision to transform healthcare and cultivate a healthier Windsor-Essex."
Saturday's event begins with a formal presentation scheduled. A public open house runs from noon to 3 p.m. At 1 p.m., local author Marty Gervais will provide a talk on his new book about Grace Hospital and autograph copies of it. The famous Salvation Army band will perform throughout the event.