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June 1996 WEST VANCOUVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY Page 3 AND THIS IS THE WAY IT WAS Depression Daze A Nurse *s Memories of the North Vancouver General Hospital By: Barbara Johnson, Contributions Editor Last week I walked up the front steps and opened the door to the old North Vancouver General Hospital, to visit a friend in the Rehabilitation ward. This care is now one of the objectives of the old building, right next door to the Lions Gate Hospital. What a flood of memories overwhelmed me! Back in the depression days of the dirty thirties I was a cog in the difficult operation of running this institution. I was a nurse, recently graduated from St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. Johnson How my heart thundered in my chest as I looked at the head nurse. Miss Kathleen Lee, waiting for her to appoint me to my duties. It was 10:45 pm. I had just hitch-hiked from West Vancouver, there being no connecting transportation at that time. Then I had taken the streetcar up the steep Lonsdale hill, listened to the motorman call out the streets, “Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh,” he shouted. I was to get off at Thirteenth. I walked up Thirteenth and I was there, ready to start my career as a registered nurse in this long-hoped-for position. Of course I didn’t realize at the time that I was fortunate to be able to even apply for a position here. The hospital had almost been closed up completely because of lack of funds. Only with the co-operation of the hard-working staff Barbara in the Maternity Ward who worked overtime for no extra pay was the place still in working order. That, plus of course, the tireless labour of the Girl’s and Women’s Auxiliary. In 1932 the North Vancouver City and the North Vancouver District declared bankruptcy and a conunissioner, Charles Tisdall was appointed. This man combined the two municipalities. West Vancouver was spared this humiliation by the influx of money from the British Pacific Properties Limited for land purchased. Purchased with the vision and plan of building the Lions Gate Bridge across the First Narrows to increase the population and one day make West Vancouver a select residential community. The small provincial grant did not provide sufficient funds to make up the hospital deficit so desperate measures were required. The accident which closed the Second Narrows Bridge in 1930 when a log carrier collided with it was a severe blow to North Vancouver’s economy and the recovery was slow. This bridge opened again in 1933. The North Vancouver Ferry bore all the vehicular traffic to the North Shore during that period. West Vancouver’s contribution of $2000 to the hospital was a drop in the bucket of need for money at that time. Years later West Vancouver became a member and took part in hospital upkeep. The Elks Club, in defiance of the law, started a lottery in aid of this beleaguered facility, so that in 1934 a North Vancouver Sweepstakes was held, without any publicity, which carried on successfully into the 1950’s. The tickets were fifty cents each and the top prizes were from $25 to $300. Fifty cents was a lot to spend in those difficult days but it bought a sense of hc^, for the purchaser and for the hospital. An average monthly profit of $900 was reported. Private donations and help from the lODE and other associations added to this sum to keep things going. All this was unknown to me as I went on duty on the Men’s ward on the First floor that night. Finding Captain Smith of the West Vancouver Ferry Service a patient in my care cheered me immensely and I found that I could make my way in this new job without much difficulty. The doors were locked at night and 1 had to answer the emergency calls as well as care for the Children’s ward. The children were all asleep at that point and luckily they stayed that way until I could orient myself into my widespread duties. Very soon I found it a drag to commute from my parents’ home in West Van to my new job so I moved into the Nurses’ Home on 12th Street near Lonsdale. This building was the previous hospital and served the North Shore as its only medical facility until 1929 when the new building, the one I was now working in, was built. It was formally opened in 1932.1 was proud to feel almost a pioneer member of its staff. And I made good money: $80 a month plus my bed in the Home and the best meals I had ever eaten outside my mother’s kitchen. At the then exorbitant price of one dollar a day the majority of people could not pay for their stay in hospital in money, so they made up the difference in loads of apples from their properties, eggs and meat from their chickens, and raspberries from their gardens. Dorothy, our cook, fed us like queens. Soon I graduated up the ladder from the bottom spot on the thirteen member nursing staff, through three night duty series, into Maternity care. Quite a number of baby girls who were bom before the Doctor could arrive for the delivery are called Barbara and still live on the North Shore. As well as my other duties I had to mn the X Ray machine in my spare time. This ancient piece of equipment was. I’m sure, dangerous to use and I flinched as it sparked fire from its parts when I pushed the button. In 1939, enough money, $7000, was raised, every cent by donation, to replace the old wreck with a new, up to date shock proof machine. During my time there I filled nearly every position in turn and got to know every person employed there â€" a friendly atmosphere which I loved. As I visited my friend there the other night I was still surrounded by the warm aura of the thirties. I spent that night dreaming of those old happy times.