Deelarchief SF6 - Parkwood Hospital

In 1927, the name ‘Parkwood’ was officially adopted to refer to the old Victoria Home at 81 Grand Avenue. 1929 led to additional extensions and renovations to the building, including new laundry and storeroom, a cottage for the engineers, a new heating plant, a diet kitchen, and bedrooms for staff. By 1930, Parkwood needed to increase its bed capacity even further, but the lack of funds postponed further construction. Later additions include a new east wing (1934), a nurse’s residence (1939), an auditorium (1951), a new front and west wing (1952-1953), a new heating plant and garden (1964), Parkwood underwent many changes during the post-war years, such as creating Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy departments, nurses no long living in residence, the creation of a Medical Advisory Committee, the hiring of more medical staff, and a rehabilitation program.

Plans for a brand-new hospital and nursing home facilities were designed in 1968, but with a lack of funding available for new building, they were forgotten about. Discussions resumed in 1975, as plans arose to relocate Parkwood to the Westminster Hospital site. Parkwood would relieve the Department of Veteran’s Affairs of their responsibilities of caring for chronically ill veterans. Agreements were made between the DVA, the province, Victoria Hospital, and the WCA Board to transfer the titles of land at Westminster and responsibilities to Parkwood, and new building plans were drawn up. In 1980, the Westminster site was renamed the Veteran’s Care Centre, and construction for the new Parkwood Hospital began two years later. On December 5, 1984, the new Parkwood was officially opened, and nearly 3 000 Londoners toured the facilities in the days following. Constructions plans were not done, as the completion of the new hospital also led to the decision to rebuild the Western Counties Wing and add a connecting building between the hospital and the new wing. Both additions were completed by 1989.

In 1997, the Ontario Health System underwent a phase of restructuring, forcing the WCA and Parkwood Hospital to “relinquish to the St. Joseph’s Health Centre the ownership, operation, management, and control of the Parkwood Hospital, including its programs, services, buildings and assets”. Parkwood, along with other institutions in London partnered together under one collective board of governance.