Hillcrest Hospital

Details of Site Location: 47 Austin Terrace.

Boundary History: The hospital lands stretched above and below the escarpment at the northeast corner of Davenport Road and Bathurst Street, north to Austin Terrace, and east to complete an acre, which was later supplemented.

Current Use of Property: A modern facility with the same name is on the site of the vanished building at the top of the escarpment.

Historical Description: A very beautiful young woman named Kate Ellis came to visit relatives living on Elm Avenue in Rosedale. Just after New Year’s in 1885, Kate read in the newspapers of the day that a woman who had been discharged from the General Hospital on Gerrard Street, with no means and no place to go, was found the morning after huddled in a doorway on Jarvis Street, frozen to death. Kate immediately came forward with an offer of $2,000 to build a convalescent home, and William Gooderham offered to donate an acre of land at Davenport and Bathurst. Both gifts were made with the proviso that if the funds were used as directed and at some time in the future the convalescent home ceased to function, then the value of the gifts was to be returned to the donors or applied to another equally charitable cause. By the spring of 1886, the home had been built and furnished, and had a Committee of Management, who selected the name Hillcrest proposed by Kate Evans. A Constitution and Bylaws had been developed, staff had been hired, and the first patients were in residence. The most socially prominent people of the day all played major roles in supporting the hospital and seeking improvements. The Governor General officially opened the building. In 1892, the hospital was incorporated as a convalescent home, and several charities merged with it in the process. Rehabilitation is an important part of convalescence, and in this function Hillcrest became associated with city hospitals ready to discharge patients for rehabilitation treatment. In 1960, this treatment process had grown to the point where the existing space was no longer adequate. The old building was demolished and the present building erected on its site.

Relative Importance: After her astonishing gift, Kate Ellis returned to Liverpool, England, and all efforts to trace her failed. Both Ellis and William Gooderham deserve to be remembered, as the property is one of the finest along the escarpment and has marvellous views of the city below. True acts of charity deserve to be recognized, as well as the long service the hospital has given.

Planning Implications: Under the current restructuring of health services by the Ontario government, the future of the hospital is not secure. So that the Toronto public can learn of its history and prize the site for that history, a major plaque should be mounted at the fence on the south side of the property, facing Davenport Road.

Reference Sources: Lawrence Muldoon (former director), A Tribute to Hillcrest Hospital (1997).

Acknowledgements: Lawrence Muldoon; Community History Project.