by Lynne Clifford-Ward, KDH Foundation
The Kemptville District Hospital Foundation is in the process of raising $2.2 million to bring a CT Scanner to the hospital. What follows is the hospital’s chronological story, how it came to be, how the community has generously supported the hospital over the decades, how it has physically transformed since 1960 and why the current fundraising campaign is such an important Crossroads for the hospital and the community.
The Hospital’s Early Beginnings
There have been three significant attempts to build a public hospital in Kemptville – 1939, 1946 and 1954. One attempt was derailed by the Second World War and the other, by a community project competing for limited financial resources.
In 1954, the idea of a hospital was proposed by a small group of enterprising businessmen. They recognized the community’s urgent need for a hospital and the business opportunities it would offer. On October 6 that same year, the hospital was incorporated and received its Letters Patent from the Province.
The first Directors were issued a Charter the same year “which constituted them and any others who become members of the Corporation, without share capital, under the name of Kemptville District Hospital, to establish, construct and operate a public hospital”. These directors included William Bryden George (W.B. “Baldy” George), an extension soil specialist at Kemptville Agricultural School and Dr. Oswald Beamish – who would be one of the first physicians at KDH – as well as veterinarian Dr. Lloyd George Coleman, plant manager Francis George Wallace and Stanley James Sanderson, a cheese distributor.
However, lack of financial support stalled the hospital project once again.
Surprisingly, it was Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH) which provided the catalyst to make Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) a reality. WDMH Management declared that they no longer had the capacity to look after the ever-increasing demand from the sprawling population of 10,000 residents which included North and South Gower, Mountain, Osgoode, Marlborough, Oxford, Wolford, Augusta and Edwardsburgh.
Kemptville was most certainly at a crossroads. A crucial decision had to be made.
Build a hospital!
And so, in 1958, responding to the Winchester declaration, and fearful of no longer having access to the Winchester Hospital, an urgent “call to action” was issued to the Kemptville community: “build a hospital”. Local doctors championed the idea, including Dr. Beamish and Dr. Jackson Flay, Dr. Orville Wilson and Dr. Dennis Jones.
A public meeting held March 25 was attended by 400 local residents who voted unanimously to build a hospital. Following the meeting, committees were established to study all aspects of the proposed hospital, including site, size, physical construction, charter, management and financing. Another committee, tasked to select candidates for the Provisional Hospital Board, included Edna Bustard, Rev. S. Kerrison, Mrs. Earl Reddick, Dr. L.G. Coleman, Norm Goldberg and Patrick Maloney (1930-2019, the last living member of this Committee). All the Committee reports were submitted by May 13.
Institutional consultants, G.A. Brakely and Co. were retained on May 14 to organize the fundraising campaign. By May 29, architects Balharrie, Helmer and Morin of Ottawa were retained by the hospital; they quickly drew up plans for the proposed half-million dollar building with 32-beds.
The Community Blitz Campaign in 1958
To make this dream a reality, an exciting Blitz Community Canvass was held June 23-28, 1958, with a lofty goal of raising $250,000. The community support was outstanding, reaching $282,000 in cash and pledges, the 2024 equivalent of over $2 million. Local employers and employees, service groups, dairy farmers – the community – rose to the challenge of bringing a hospital to Kemptville.
Gordon Goldie, the institutional consultant assigned to the Campaign, wrote in a June 23, 1958, letter to the Managing Editor of The Toronto Star, “the enthusiasm here is so great… this small rural village, (is) taking their hospital needs in their own hands, raising its own big share of the money needed before appealing to others for help. It could be a model for the whole province.” Fundraising events were held for the “Building Fund”, such as Kemptville’s first Charity Ball. Held in November at the Kemptville Armories, it was described as “the district’s top social event of the year”.
