History in good hands: LHSC donates century-old records to Western

A corner of Western University now holds 150 years of London’s medical history, preserving the records. CTV’s Reta Ismail has more.

A quiet corner of Western University now holds more than a century’s worth of medical history, thanks to a major donation from London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).

The health-care organization has officially transferred its historical archives to Western Libraries, delivering 152 boxes of artifacts, documents and records previously stored at Victoria Hospital and Children’s Hospital.

“The history that I’ve seen in these records is really critical to London’s history and health care in Canada,” said Anne Quirk, archivist at Western Libraries. “So it’s a great, great partnership for us.”

LHSC says these archives tell the story of that evolution through handwritten letters, photographs, and artifacts from LHSC’s history, including London General Hospital, Beck Memorial Sanatorium, South Street Hospital, War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Westminster Hospital, Victoria Hospital, Children’s Hospital at LHSC, University Hospital and the London General Training School for Nurses, one of the earliest training programs for nurses in the region.

Deborah Wiseman, LHSC’s vice-president of clinical services, said the donation marks a meaningful step in preserving the legacy of health care in the region.

“It’s a meaningful time for us to be making this donation in collaboration with Western,” said Wiseman. “The history of our past, which is a legacy in our region of health care.”

She added the public, along with researchers and health-care professionals, will be able to access the materials in the future. Archivists are currently cataloguing the fonds, which go beyond health care to also touch on local business, science and social history. Western Libraries plans to make large portions of the collection searchable online.

“We have an environment here that is conducive to proper preservation,” said Quirk. “As well as providing access to researchers who want to come in and look at the content.”

The project not only secures LHSC’s historical record, but also opens new opportunities for discovery, academic study and public engagement.