Hôpital Royal Victoria

The Royal Victoria Free Hospital was a gift to the city of Montreal in 1893. The Vic, as it was popularly known, was a former estate property of 10 acres in the Golden Square Mile area of downtown. The hospital was expanded numerous times over the years and now consists of nine pavilions, three of which date from the original endowment.

When it first opened its doors, it was hailed as the "finest and most perfectly equipped hospital on the great American continent". The hospital originally had 150 employees, including 14 medical doctors.

The H pavilion opened in 1905 as the nurses' residence. The 1920's saw the addition of the Women's and Ross Memorial pavilions. Another expansion was completed in the early 1950's giving the hospital its M and S pavilions; a portion of the original hospital was demolished to accomplish this. Lastly the C pavilion, housing the emergency room, birthing centre, and a large modern ICU opened in 1993. There was also an outdoor swimming pool and lounge area.

In 1920, the hospital became an esteemed medical research institute through the McGill University Faculty of Medicine.

Hospital operations have moved to the new Glen site of the McGill University Health Centre on April 26, 2015. The university has yet to formally announce its future plans for the property.

The Royal Vic had claim to an impressive number of world class accomplishments, including:
Canada's first neurosurgeon
Royal Vic physician who wrote "In Flanders Fields"
Development of a mobile blood-transfusion service during the Spanish Civil War
The first patient treated with Penicillin
Vineberg procedure, a forerunner of modern coronary bypass surgery
The first female plastic surgeon
Co-founder of the American College of Surgeons

Interesting fact: A time capsule is located in the wall facing the C pavilion's elevators on the ground floor.