History

The earliest evidence of formal hospital care in Campbellford can be dated back to 1918. Records from this period of time refer to a hospital located on Bridge St West, which accounts suggest was likely a maternity facility. There are also records that indicate an isolation facility was established at the fairgrounds during the Spanish Flu pandemic. However, it wasn’t until 1935 that a permanent hospital was finally established. In August of that year the town agreed to convert the property at 123 Front St North from a residence into the first Campbellford Hospital. The new hospital had only 2 beds when it first opened, an operating room, and only 1 nurse who often slept onsite and was on call 24 hours a day.

This facility filled an immediate need in the community. Until that point, those requiring hospital care needed to travel to either Peterborough or Belleville. This was a longer and much more difficult journey in1935 compared to today.

As time went on and the community continued to grow, the need for a larger hospital became more evident. Serious consideration to build a new hospital began in 1945 when the town started to discuss building a new facility as a memorial to those who died during World War II. Over the next 8 years numerous individuals and committees helped to fundraise, purchase equipment, recruit, and plan for a new hospital. On August 23rd 1953, their hard work and dedication came to fruition as Campbellford Memorial Hospital held its ground opening in front of a crowd of nearly 3000 people.

In 1963 plans to add a second story addition began and over the next several years the hospital purchased several plots of land required to add the extra foundational support and additional parking. Construction presented some difficulties as portions of the hospital had to close from time to time to accommodate the work. In March 1970, nearly 7 years after plans were first announced, the second floor addition was officially opened.

In 1985 construction began on a major new addition that would house a new Emergency Department, Laboratory and Radiology Department. By the fall of 1987 construction was complete and the new addition was opened.

In October 2002, after less than a year of construction, the heliport was officially opened. This expansion allowed for the expedited transfer of trauma patients to larger facilities in Toronto and Kingston.

Today, Campbellford Memorial Hospital has 34 acute care beds, a Special Care Unit, Endoscopy Surgical Suite, Radiology Department, Laboratory, numerous Out-Patient Clinics, a Mental Health Clinic and a fully equipped 24/7 Emergency Department. We serve approximately 40,000 Northumberland, Peterborough and Hastings County residents, as well as a large seasonal population of cottagers and tourists.

Thank you to the Campbellford-Seymour Heritage Society whose book "Campbellford Memorial Hospital: 50 Years of Care Beyond Compare," was the source of much of the historical information on this page.