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The year is 1924. The people of Ottawa are emerging from a devasting global pandemic and looking to the health-care sector for support as they rebuild their lives.
This situation, not entirely unlike where we find ourselves today in 2024, led to the founding of The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus, which first opened its iconic hand-carved wooden doors to the public on Nov. 27, 1924.
In the 100 years that followed, the Civic has served as a pillar of health care in Eastern Ontario and helped lay the foundation for a century of medical advances in Canada.
This week marks the Civic’s 100th birthday, as well as 100 incredible years of reshaping the future of health care and creating a better tomorrow, together.
Here’s how The Ottawa Hospital has celebrated its favourite centenarian all year round:
100 years, 100 moments
The Civic is the site of many significant health-care milestones and major events in our community.
To try to capture a fraction of this impressive track record, The Ottawa Hospital spent the past year sharing 100 unique moments from the Civic’s 100-year history.
For instance, did you know that the Civic has served as the birthplace of both a prime minister and a princess? Or that the Civic is the site of several impressive firsts, including Ottawa’s first successful kidney transplant in 1966 and Ottawa’s first heart transplant in 1984, in addition to being one of the first hospitals in the world to successfully treat a patient with blood clots in 1994?
To learn about all these stories and more, check out The Ottawa Hospital’s 100 Moments website.
Illustrating one of Ottawa’s most iconic buildings
On top of providing world-class health care, the Civic is an Ottawa landmark situated along one of the city’s busiest arteries, its red-bricked facade a familiar sight to the thousands of people walking, biking and commuting along Carling Avenue each day.
The Ottawa Hospital enlisted local artist Colin White to capture the architectural beauty and historical significance of this beloved building through his artwork.
The Civic in 2024: Still serving the community
As the adult-care trauma centre for Eastern Ontario, Outaouais and eastern Nunavut, the Civic is far from slowing down in its old age!
For a sneak peek behind the scenes at one of the city’s busiest hospitals, The Ottawa Hospital spoke to Fred Kendall, Capital Projects Manager and one of the Civic’s longest-serving caretakers. Take a few minutes to hear from the person who knows this building best — right down to its bones.
Looking to the future
As Ottawa celebrates 100 years of the Civic Campus, The Ottawa Hospital is busy planning for the future.
Just a few blocks from the Civic down Carling Ave., a new campus is currently under construction, which will be home to one of the most modern, technologically advanced and accessible hospitals in the country.
With a continued focus on patient experience, The Ottawa Hospital’s new campus will have private rooms for all in-patients, an advanced trauma centre, a larger and more efficient emergency department, state-of-the-art operating rooms, specialty services and outpatient programs.
Most importantly, this new campus will build on and enhance the Civic’s rich legacy of care.
Support patient care and research at
The Ottawa Hospital
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Watch: Local artist helps commemorate 100 years of the Civic Campus
The Ottawa Hospital enlisted the help of local artist Colin White to help mark its Civic Campus’ 100th anniversary. Here’s the story of how he created a piece of art worthy of a centennial.
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