I thought I would dig into the archives and post the first hospital I ever explored. It was the former Providence Hospital in Moose Jaw. The hospital was a victim to spending cuts in the 1990s while the government tried to financially stabilize the province after many years of recession and poor government. Services had to be cut to prevent adding further to the mounting debt we were facing at the time. Dozens of hospitals were closed across this province. At the time of its closure the building was in good shape and there were private groups and investors interested in the property. The property was sold to a developer from the United States. For reasons I do not know the developer never did anything with the property. Over the years it declined further and further until it was beyond repair. There were many fires at the hospital while it sat vacant for close to 15 years prompting public outcry for the government to do something with the derelict facility.
By the time I explored it in 2005 there were tenders out for its demolition. The city had taken ownership of the building due to the property taxes not being paid on it for many years and the provincial government was financing its demolition. Demolition began in September 2006 and the site is now home to new houses.
My photography wasnt very good and neither was my gear. I had a HP point and shoot camera and virtually no knowledge of photography beyond aim and press the shutter. Occasionally I will continue to pull out some old photos from locations long gone and share them here.
The outside of the older and more interesting wing of the hospital
Taken in the chapel area
Some creative graffiti
Maternity Department
Some charred medical equipment
Some of the worst fire damage that I ran into
Nursing station on a higher floor
Scrub up area for the operating rooms
The somewhat intact light in the operating room
Smoke damaged area
The body fridge in the morgue