Hôtel-Dieu de Québec facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hôtel-Dieu de Québec (Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec) |
|
|---|---|
The main entrance of the Hôtel-Dieu hospital
|
|
| Geography | |
| Location | 11, côte du Palais Quebec City, Quebec G1R 2J6 |
| Coordinates | 46°48′54.76″N 71°12′38.26″W / 46.8152111°N 71.2106278°W |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Medicare |
| Hospital type | Teaching |
| Affiliated university | Laval University |
| Services | |
| Speciality | cancer treatment, kidney disease and cochlear implants |
| History | |
| Founded | 1637 |
The Hôtel-Dieu de Québec is a hospital in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It is a "teaching hospital," which means it's connected to a university, Université Laval. Students learn medicine there.
This hospital is part of a larger group called the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHUQ). This group includes five teaching hospitals and other special medical places. Hôtel-Dieu de Québec is known for treating cancer, kidney disease, and for doing cochlear implants. It also has a research center where scientists study new medical treatments.
This hospital was the very first one built in Canada. It was also the first hospital in North America, north of Mexico.
Contents
History of Hôtel-Dieu de Québec
Founding the First Hospital in Canada
The Hôtel-Dieu hospital was officially started in 1637. It was created to provide healthcare for the people living in the new French colony. A woman named Marie-Madeleine de Vignerot, the Duchesse d'Aiguillon, helped make this happen. She was a niece of a very important person, Cardinal Richelieu.
The Duchess gave the job of running the hospital to a group of nuns called the Canonesses of St. Augustine of the Mercy of Jesus. These nuns were also known as the Hospitaller Sisters. Their special mission was to care for the sick.
Arrival of the Hospitaller Sisters
Three young nuns left their home monastery in Dieppe, France. Dieppe is a town on the coast of the English Channel. They traveled all the way to New France, which is what Canada was called back then. They arrived on August 1, 1639. Their goal was to open the new hospital.
These three brave nuns were Mothers Marie de Saint-Ignace Guenet, Marie de Saint-Bonaventure Forestier, and Anne de Saint-Bernard Le Cointre.
Early Location and Challenges
The nuns set up the first hospital in 1640. It was in a place called Sillery, which was a small village at the time. The Duchess wanted them to care for the First Nations people. So, houses were built near the hospital for native people to make it easier for them to get care.
However, by 1644, the nuns had to leave Sillery. There were many attacks by Iroquois warriors. Because it was too dangerous, the nuns and the hospital moved to the town of Quebec.
Moving to Quebec City
In Quebec City, the nuns bought land and built the hospital that still stands today. After moving, the hospital mainly served the French colonists. It quickly became the most important medical place for the people of the city.
Another Hospital for the Poor
In 1693, a new hospital was built for people who were poor. It was called the Hôpital-Général de Québec. Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Vallier, who was the second Bishop of Quebec, built it.
At first, four nuns from the Hôtel-Dieu went to help run this new hospital. In 1698, the Bishop officially put the Hôtel-Dieu nuns in charge of the Hôpital-Général. The Sisters who worked there later became their own independent group in 1701.
National Historic Site Status
The Hôtel-Dieu hospital was recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1936. This means it's a very important historical place for the country. The Augustinian nuns continued to run the Hôtel-Dieu until 1962.
Architecture and Design
The Hôtel-Dieu site has many buildings. Some parts are very old, built in 1695, while others are quite new, from 2001.
Oldest Structures
The oldest parts are the vaulted cellars. These are arched underground rooms that support the three-story wings of the hospital. They were built in 1695. Stone walls surround the area, which includes an old Augustine cemetery, a monastery, a garden, and a cloister. A cloister is a covered walkway, usually in a monastery.
Hospital Chapel
The hospital also has a chapel. It first opened in 1803. Later, its inside and outside were changed by an architect named Thomas Baillairgé.
