The Dr. Frederick Inglis house, Stonehurst, in lower Gibsons. (c.1940s)
Have you ever wanted to know more about the evolution of medical care on the Sunshine Coast? How did we evolve from a small, rural community with one doctor, to where we are today? I'm in the nursing program at the University Of British Columbia (Kelowna), and was interested in how our local health services came to be. During my time here at the museum, I decided to find out!
In 1913, Dr. Frederick Inglis arrived in Gibsons and opened the first medical clinic of the Sunshine Coast. He operated his clinic and a pharmacy out of his home, Stonehurst, in Gibson's Landing. For the next 33 years, Dr. Inglis travelled throughout the coast to provide medical services. He was the only medical practitioner servicing Port Mellon to Halfmoon Bay. During this time, the only doctor in Pender Harbour had lost his license for malpractice. However, he was the only person with any medical knowledge in the area, and continued to practice illegally until 1920. As the Sunshine Coast grew, so did the need for more access to medical care.
The Columbia Coast Mission Society vessel M.V. Columbia in Kingcome Inlet c.1930. This was a medical and hospital ship that also went to Garden Bay to drop patients off at St. Mary's (now shíshálh, or Sechelt) Hospital.
In the early 1900s, the Columbia Coast Mission provided medical services to remote Sunshine Coast communities by boat. At this time, the primary industries on the coast were logging and fishing- it was these communities that pushed for a hospital. In Bright Seas, Pioneer Spirits, the authors described the conditions at that time. "In those days, loggers injured in Jervis Inlet or even down the coast as far as Halfmoon Bay would be taken by small boat to Irvine's Landing where they would have to lie in the freight shed until the next steamer arrived, perhaps a day later, in order to get to hospital in Vancouver. Too many of them died before a ship arrived and so the logging and fishing communities resolved that a hospital must be built in Pender Harbour..." The need for a hospital was met through the collaboration of the Columbia Coast Mission and St. Mary’s Church Parish in Vancouver. On August 16th, 1930, St. Mary’s Hospital opened in Garden Bay. It was a simple building with 12 beds, one doctor, two nurses, and two other staff.
While convenient for camp workers, this location proved difficult for many residents of the lower Sunshine Coast as there was no land access to Garden Bay. It wasn’t until 1936 that the government road was connected to Garden Bay and Irvine’s Landing. And even with access to transportation, the road to Garden Bay remained unpaved and difficult to navigate. This meant that the lower Sunshine Coast had to rely on one doctor (Dr. Inglis) for medical care. As the population continued to increase, it became apparent that more medical services were required.
The Gibsons Post Office at the corner of School Rd and Gower Point Road, before moving to it's current location. This building was purchased by Dr. Hugh Inglis in 1962 and became the first Gibsons Medical Clinic.
By the 1960s, the lower Sunshine Coast communities had grown significantly. Dr. Fred Inglis’s son, Dr. Hugh Inglis, had taken over the clinic at Stonehurst. But the population was rapidly expanding beyond the small clinic. The need of a bigger clinic was met by Dr. Hugh Inglis, who purchased and renovated the old Gibsons post office. In December of 1962, the Gibsons Medical Clinic was opened directly across from Stonehurst. Another doctor, the semi-retired Dr. Mackenzie, also opened a clinic near Soames Point. This provided the residents of Gibson's Landing access to more medical services without having to make the long drive to Pender Harbour.
The community was quickly outgrowing the small rural hospital of Garden Bay and the need for a more centrally located hospital was recognized. According to Dr. Swan in House Calls by Float Plane, "Halfmoon Bay was considered the center of the lower Sunshine Coast, [and] the population hub was in Roberts Creek.” So in 1964, St. Mary’s Hospital moved to Sechelt. The new hospital was built on land generously donated by the shíshálh Nation, consisted of 35 beds and had a 13 bed nurse’s residence. However, as Dr. Paetkau notes in his novel, “the new hospital was already proving inadequate for the Sunshine Coast’s growing population”. By 1968, the number of patient days in the hospital had almost tripled (from 4,926 in '64 to 13,464). However, the move from Garden Bay to Sechelt did increase the availability of St. Mary’s Hospital services throughout the coast. Since then, it has continued to expand. The shíshálh, or Sechelt, Hospital was recently renovated and now has larger emergency, radiology, and maternity departments, single patient rooms, and 44 beds.
The community was quickly outgrowing the small rural hospital of Garden Bay and the need for a more centrally located hospital was recognized. According to Dr. Swan in House Calls by Float Plane, "Halfmoon Bay was considered the center of the lower Sunshine Coast, [and] the population hub was in Roberts Creek.” So in 1964, St. Mary’s Hospital moved to Sechelt. The new hospital was built on land generously donated by the shíshálh Nation, consisted of 35 beds and had a 13 bed nurse’s residence. However, as Dr. Paetkau notes in his novel, “the new hospital was already proving inadequate for the Sunshine Coast’s growing population”. By 1968, the number of patient days in the hospital had almost tripled (from 4,926 in '64 to 13,464). However, the move from Garden Bay to Sechelt did increase the availability of St. Mary’s Hospital services throughout the coast. Since then, it has continued to expand. The shíshálh, or Sechelt, Hospital was recently renovated and now has larger emergency, radiology, and maternity departments, single patient rooms, and 44 beds.
When the new hospital opened, the Garden Bay location was closed, which sparked an outcry among the remote communities of the area. In Bright Seas, Pioneer Spirits, the authors noted that “many of [the residents] had volunteered labour or materials for the construction of the old building..”, and the loss of medical services had a huge impact on the area. Consequently, they rallied to open a clinic. And in 1976, they achieved their goal. The clinic moved to more centrally located Madeira Park, ensuring that everyone had access to services.
At this time, growth on the Sunshine Coast became much more rapid. This development allowed an influx of medical professionals to the coast, as there were multiple employment opportunities. The historical record of medical care on the Sunshine Coast in the next few decades seems to die off. We had a community hospital, clinics in Gibsons, Sechelt and Madeira Park (and multiple private clinics that opened in the Sechelt area, mostly in the late '70s-'90s). As the population increased and communities developed, medical care grew. The availability of medical care has come a long was since the isolated hospital of the 1930s. The evolution of medical care on the Sunshine Coast is largely due to the community's dedication in implementing change- and our hardworking healthcare professionals. Without the efforts of these early Sunshine Coast residents, we wouldn’t have the access to the healthcare that we do today.
Are you interested in learning more about local history? Drop by the SCMA with your research requests; we would be happy to help!
At this time, growth on the Sunshine Coast became much more rapid. This development allowed an influx of medical professionals to the coast, as there were multiple employment opportunities. The historical record of medical care on the Sunshine Coast in the next few decades seems to die off. We had a community hospital, clinics in Gibsons, Sechelt and Madeira Park (and multiple private clinics that opened in the Sechelt area, mostly in the late '70s-'90s). As the population increased and communities developed, medical care grew. The availability of medical care has come a long was since the isolated hospital of the 1930s. The evolution of medical care on the Sunshine Coast is largely due to the community's dedication in implementing change- and our hardworking healthcare professionals. Without the efforts of these early Sunshine Coast residents, we wouldn’t have the access to the healthcare that we do today.
Are you interested in learning more about local history? Drop by the SCMA with your research requests; we would be happy to help!
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