The Life and Destruction of Saint Mary's Hospital is the story of Saint Mary's Hospital in New Westminster, British Columbia, from its founding in 1887 by the Sisters of Providence, with forty-two beds and a staff of five, through its modernization and growth into one of the finest surgical centres in the province. From its opening day, Saint Mary's Hospital brought profound changes to health care in the province. Unlike other hospitals at the time, which did not accept children or persons with incurable conditions, Saint Mary's welcomed both. The Sisters did not discriminate by race and served the old, the rich, the poor and the mentally ill alike. Even those who did not need medical care but were simply hungry were fed. Author Jaimie McEvoy skillfully places the remarkable history of Saint Mary's within the context of the history of British Columbia and New Westminster-encompassing a period including the creation of the province; the Gold Rush; two world wars; smallpox, cholera and influenza epidemics; the Great Fire of New Westminster; numerous health-care reforms and the ultimate controversy that closed Saint Mary's doors forever in 2004, after 117 years of faithful and compassionate service. | The Life and Destruction of Saint Mary's Hospital by Jaimie McEvoy, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters