Our History

Carleton Place & District Memorial Hospital (CPDMH) opened in 1955 to serve the residents of Carleton Place and surrounding communities.

Like other communities in Canada, this region lost native sons in World War I and II; loss of life which represented enormous sacrifice by the community’s young and brave. The community responded by planning a hospital as a memorial to these men and women.

Ten years of planning started right after the war, including a sod-turning by the Honorable George Doucett, Minister of Highways for Ontario in April 1953. On February 12, 1955, the Honorable Paul Martin, Minister of National Health and Welfare for Canada, officially declared the hospital open to serve the community.

Donations and government grants covered the $304,000 cost to build the 36-bed hospital. The first Board Chair was D. Douglas Findlay and the first administrator was Miss Cora Droppo.

Like the community, the hospital expanded over the years. With every renovation and redevelopment, the community has played an active role in supporting the hospital. In 1967, a second floor was added. In 1982, the emergency and clinic areas were renovated and a new physiotherapy department was added.

In 2015, CPDMH celebrated 60 years of caring for our local communities.  Today the hospital has redevelopment plans before the Ministry of Health to meet the needs of today and the future.  The CPDMH Foundation was established in 1994 (30 years ago) to buy 100% of all patient care equipment and 10% of renovations and needed redevelopment: that amounts to more than $500,000 a year!  

Approval to build a new Emergency Department was granted in October 2016 and is near completion. For more information please visit www.cpdmhfoundation.ca/thenewER