The formation of a group of women began in 1962 .... with a couple of

ladies sitting around a kitchen table wanting to make a difference to

a community they love and in need of health care and Doctors. The

Port Hardy women organized as an Auxiliary to help the North Island

Medical Society provide Port Hardy and area the best possible medical. 

Looking back, the obstacles were numerous - no doctor, poor

transportation, no hospital or clinic. The desired results demanded the

co-operation of the entire area and industry, as well as individual

families who came to the rescue of the Medical Society and Women's

Auxiliary. With donations, volunteer services and equipment, an

emergency clinic was set up at an airport building supplied by the

department of Transport. At last we had something to offer a Doctor,

and with financial help from the community and industries we

subsidized the medical salary and a Doctor was in our area. For years

we carried on with our campaign for medical services - with no help

from the Government, but with wholehearted co-operation of the community. 

There was very little housing available in Port Hardy. To ensure the Doctors had a proper place to live, the Women's Auxiliary took up a lease on one of the first houses in the M&B subdivision. 

In 1962, the Women's Auxiliary set a goal of raising $10,000 towards a hospital. Plans were drawn up to add 4 rooms to the clinic and convert it to a hospital - this was rejected by the Provincial Government.

 

In 1964, "Top Line Special" - monthly newspaper started by the Auxiliary

- kept he community informed of all the news in the area. This

newsworthy paper itself was edited, reported, printed, and distributed

by volunteer women who devoted many hours to the project, a 15 cents

a copy. The paper was popular on the stands for years and brought

revenue to the medical fund. The Auxiliary rolled the last issues of the

paper off the press in the fall of 1970. 

 

From the beginning to 1985, they have been involved in many fundraising

projects- news paper, thrift shop, salmon barbecue, fashion shows, dances,

cookbook sales, rummage sales, bazaars and gift shop. These funneled

thousands of dollars into medical care for our area. 

In 1972 the long awaited goal of a hospital became a reality when a 10-bed hospital was built. We then became an Auxiliary to the Port Hardy Hospital and helped to supply some of the needed equipment. The Hospital Auxiliary joined the Port Hardy Municipality, which formed the Health Services Commission. $30,000 was provided and a Doctor's Clinic was built, giving our Doctor's a better working area. The women were also involved in the planning and building of the ambulance building ( which is now the North Island Crisis & Counselling Centre building) which was financed by the Municipality. The women continued to give support to the hospital and Health Services Commission when equipment was needed. 

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                                                                                                               On January 30, 1982, a new 25 bed hospital was officially                                                                                                                 opened. Dreams come true! Through much hard work                                                                                                                     we had accomplished our goal of a well-equipped                                                                                                                             hospital, providing the best service to our area. The                                                                                                                           Clinic was sold to the Doctor's and the Hospital Auxiliary                                                                                                                 turned money $78,000 - over to the hospital for any                                                                                                                           added construction or equipment needed. 

When the new hospital opened, the hospital Auxiliary had contributed over $150,000. Also donated were an ultrasound machine, birthing bed, defibrillator, electrocardiogram machine, TV's, bedding for Eagle Ridge Manor, hospital beds, and much more needed equipment. Also donated to Port McNeill Hospital a bladder scanner, a new fetal heart monitor for Port Hardy Hospital, and a new blood bank fridge. 

 

Inside the Hospital is a wall full of plaques honoring the hundreds of thousands of dollars of donated equipment, all raised by Volunteers of the Port Hardy Hospital Auxiliary. 

Our first Thrift Store was the old small Anglican Church which was placed at Carrot Park in 1986. The old firehall on main street was purchased by the Auxiliary for $90,000 and was open for business in 2001. The challenge is still almost as great as it was in 1962 - our hospital is over crowded most of the time, the lab facilities are cramped and the demands on our Doctors are extreme. 

The first part of this story comes from our Port Hardy History Book, all written and recorded by our past member Margaret Eilertsen - a Port Hardy Hospital Board Member and President of our local Hospital Auxiliary - and is displayed in our local Museum. 

Today, the Port Hardy Hospital Auxiliary has a membership of 55 hard-

working Volunteers. These dedicated Volunteers operate our local thrift

store, sorting, cleaning, pricing and selling of donations. A special thank

you to all the north island residents - your donations to the Port Hardy

Hospital Auxiliary and kind generosity have contributed to all of these

medical services to the Port Hardy and Port McNeill hospitals, BC

ambulance, Eagle Ridge Manor, Fire & Rescue Services, as well as two

$3,000 high school Scholarships, donations to BC Children's Hospital

and Jeneece Place (a home where children and families can stay while

receiving medical care in Victoria).