The Camp Hill Veterans Memorial Building supports residents diverse in life experiences, but united by their service to our country. During the First World War, the Military Hospital Commission in Canada built military hospitals across the country to provide medical and supportive care to returning soldiers.
Camp Hill Hospital opened its doors in the fall of 1917, and even though it was meant as a temporary hospital, it continued to provide support during the Second World War and Korean War and in the years that followed.
Only months after opening, on December 6, 1917, the city was devastated by the Halifax Explosion. Camp Hill played a role in response efforts. Originally built to care for 225 soldiers, within the first 24 hours following the explosion it cared for 1,400 of the most critically injured. Because of its location on the hill, it was not damaged. Soldiers gave up beds and medical staff worked without relief until people from away could help.
By 1928, Camp Hill’s care expanded to provide residential care to Veterans. A hundred years since it opened, there was a shift in the type of support needed from a rehabilitation focus right after the war to caring for an aging generation of Veterans.
Along with providing medical care, Camp Hill Veterans Memorial Hospital provides many social programs, recreation projects and outdoor space. The QEII’s Veterans Memorial Garden, came to fruition with commitment and fundraising efforts led by Shirley Robertson, a former resident’s wife, in collaboration with the QEII Foundation. The relaxing and safely gated atmosphere houses many social events and five commemorative celebrations each year. Twice a year, about 80 Canadian military soldiers come to clean and upkeep the Garden. The Veterans all watch from their windows and comment on how they are doing.
