Be on Time! Advertising Deadline: 12 Noon on Tuesday

Friday, January 30, 2026

For PDF version of this week paper, please click here...

Almost 120 years ago, on July 19, 1906, the Hospital Ladies Aid Society was formed, and two local ladies were tasked with writing to hospitals in Manitoba to gain information about the cost to build a small, staffed hospital in Virden. The responses indicated that the cost and maintenance of a 10-bed hospital would be about $2000 per year.

With that information in hand, the ladies of the society then went about contacting every woman in town, asking them to become members of the Hospital Ladies Aid Society at a cost of 10 cents per month. A second committee was sent to visit every businessman and householder to secure financial support for the maintenance of the hospital.

The society was not prepared to buy or build a hospital at the time, as a large house had been promised to them within the next two months at a cost of $15 per month. The Virden Cottage Hospital opened its doors on October 9, 1906, charging patients $1 per day for a bed in a public ward, $1.50 for a semi-private ward and $2 for a private ward.

In the early days, the Auxiliary members were very hands-on in the workings of the hospital. They trained registered nurses and assisted with financing when the need arose. The members sewed all of the nurses’ uniforms, caps and aprons. They bought fabric and sewed sheets, pillowcases, towels, face cloths, tea towels, dishcloths, clothes for newborns, operating room linens, nighties and pyjamas. They canned vegetables, did pickling, processed fruits, and made jams and jellies.

In order to raise funds, the Auxiliary would host bingo games, dances and teas, where they also conducted blood pressure clinics. They made quilts and grew and sold African violets and daffodils, sold raffle tickets, took pictures of newborn babies for the newspaper, and canvassed the town for donations. They even took turns working in the hospital answering phones, admitting patients, rolling bandages, and if need be, cleaning.

One hundred and twenty years later, the Virden and District Health Auxiliary is still providing for the care and comfort of those who are patients in the Virden Health Centre or residents of the Sherwood Home or the West-Man Personal Care home.

Our role has changed considerably from those early days. We no longer take an active role of the day-to-day operation of the hospital or the care homes, but we do still host a spring luncheon, do fundraising at a local level, and provide financial assistance for much-needed equipment for the facilities we support. This year alone, we secured funds for over $158,000 of equipment that our facilities may not have been able to access otherwise.

2026 sees the Virden and District Health Auxiliary celebrating 120 years of service to Virden and the surrounding area. We are very proud of the work that we do and would be happy to welcome new members. If you or someone you know would be interested in becoming part of our organization, please contact Auxiliary president Thelma Quinn at tkquinn@rfnow.com or (204) 851-6150. We can assure you that no experience in sewing uniforms or canning vegetables is required!

Virden and District Health Auxiliary Celebrates 120 Years

By Laura Wright