The story of St. Mary's Hospital begins in the late 1910s when the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul, Kingston, ON were invited by the Mayor and Council of Camrose to establish a hospital. The city donated the land and in 1924 St. Mary's Hospital officially opened its doors.
Since those early beginnings, St. Mary's Hospital has reflected the philosophy of the Sisters of Providence:
Care of the sick is a sacred trust
God is the author of human life which is precious and cherished from conception until death
Everyone, without exception, is to be treated with dignity and respect
Everyone is to be treated in a fair and just manner
About The Foundation
The St. Mary's Hospital, Camrose Foundation was established in 2002 with a generous donation from the founding Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul, Kingston when they transferred their sponsorship of the hospital to the Alberta Catholic Health Association. Their donation of $2 million has enabled the Foundation to provide needed equipment for the hospital on an annual basis.
Since 2002, the Foundation has undertaken three major fundraising drives. The first successful drive resulted in the purchase of a CT scanner for the Diagnostic Imaging Department in 2006. This fundraiser was supported by community members and groups from Camrose and many surrounding communities. Alberta Health contributed the capital construction costs associated with the expansion of the DI Department. The second successful drive was raising sufficient funds to design and construct a chapel for the hospital. The Chapel was officially opened in June 2012. Currently we are working on Emergency Room renovations.
Our history in Camrose has included some momentous occasions.
Here are a few:
1924 Training School for nurses established (closed 1932)
1933 Full accreditation status awarded (one of fourteen in the province)
1949 New wing added, capacity increased to 117 beds
1989 New facility opened
2002 Sisters of Providence transferred sponsorship of St. Mary's Hospital to the Alberta Catholic Health Association
2002 St. Mary's Hospital, Camrose Foundation is established
2008 Covenant Health is officially incorporated under the Covenant Health Act
2009 First Annual Legacy Day to renew the dedication to the Purposes of the Founding Sisters of all the Covenant Health Sites
2012 St. Mary's Hospital Chapel opened in June with a dedication service
2014 Celebrate 150 years of Catholic health care in Alberta
The Foundation welcomes all donations. Donors wishing to support health care in Camrose are encouraged to make a donation to our General Fund.
