4430 Beatrice Street (Near Kingsway), as it appears today. Former site of B.C. Maternity Hospital (1922-1930) in Cedar Cottage (East Vancouver) neighbourhood. MDM Photo, 2017.
I’ve recently made the acquaintance of Gordon Poppy. He is 89 years old and he shared with me that he was born at the B.C. Maternity Hospital in the community of Cedar Cottage (in what was then within the Municipality of South Vancouver but today is part of the City of Vancouver). When I told Gordon that I’d never heard of that hospital before, he said it is still standing, although it seems currently to be a single family dwelling.
This called for a field trip to Beatrice Street to photograph the property and not a small amount of desk research. At the end of the day, however, I don’t have much to show for my work on this project. Here are the facts I’ve been able to dig up:
- In 1920, 4430 Beatrice St. seems to have been the residence of Samuel J. Brown. (The building was vacant in 1921).
- B. C. Maternity Hospital was initially listed in the Vancouver directory in 1922 and was shown for the last time in the 1930 issue (at 4430 Beatrice St. for all of the hospital’s 8-year lifespan).
- Mrs. Mary Ann Butters (1861-1946) is listed in the 1920s issues of Vancouver directory as the “Matron” and as resident at “B. C. Maternity Hospital”.
- After the hospital evidently closed sometime in 1930 (Mrs Butters would have been just shy of her 70th birthday that year), it was occupied by members of the Wedgbury family (Lily Wedgbury was Mary Butters’ daughter) and by Mary Butters for the rest of her days. She died in 1946 at the age of 85.
- I hunted for a long time to find an ‘official’ mention of B. C. Maternity Hospital. Neither staff at the City of Vancouver Archives nor librarians at the central branch of the Vancouver Public Library had heard of the institution nor had they any record of it in their holdings.
Finally, today, while doing a last bit of due diligence, I happened across a mention within the Proceedings of the 30th Annual Convention of the B. C. Hospitals’ Association, August 19-22, 1930. On p.193 of this document in the “List of Licensed Private Hospitals” in the province, Mrs. M. Butters appears as the “licensee” of “B. C. Maternity Home” (note: not shown here as “Hospital”). The list is interesting not only for its inclusion of B. C. Maternity Home, but also for listing several other institutions which were new to me (see below), such as Fairview Convalescent Home and Chatham House Private Hospital (these two were located within a block of each other on West 15th Avenue).
It looks like 4430 Beatrice was a single family dwelling before becoming B.C. Maternity Hospital (according to some accounts, the house was built in 1905, at which time, this section of Beatrice Street was called Banks Avenue). Evidence suggests that as of the early 1930s, the former hospital reverted to being a private residence. As of 1955, the Wedgbury family was still showing in the Vancouver directory as occupying the property (Mrs Butters daughter, Lily Wedgbury, died that year).
Vancouver As It Was: A Photo-Historical Journey 
Very interesting; good sleuthing!
Thanks, L.
You are truly a hunter who does not let go of his prey! Great stuff. And now, we’re ALL anticipating similar research on those new hospitals on that list….. right!?
Thanks for commenting, Maurice.
One wonders if the current residents know anything of it.
Wonderful information! My Mother was born in Vancouver in 1922 and on her Birth Certificate it states that she was delivered by…
Nurse Butters at B.C. Maternity Hospital {so I was thrilled to come upon your article!}
I’m pleased that you enjoyed the post!
I was born in Chatham House December 19 1946….I just happened to find my birth certificate ..Dr. McCallum was the delivering doctor…
I was searching for parental lineage for my mother-inlaw for my husband and found Chatham House Hospital listed as her place of birth in June of 1930. Would this be a place where unwed mothers might have given birth?
I’m sorry, but I’m not able to confirm that. All I can say is that Chatham was a private hospital with a maternity wing. I don’t know whether they had a ‘specialty’ in taking in unwed mothers. I found several WED mothers who had children there. As for unwed mothers, it’s hard to say — they were likely less inclined to advertise the fact! Thanks for commenting.
Thank you so much for this article. My mother was also born at BC Maternity Hospital, in 1929. I still have the invoice for her birth – hand written. The staff are listed as Nurse Butters and L. Wedgebury, which fits in perfectly with what you have discovered. The bill was for $61.03!
Thanks for commenting, Cheryl. I’m pleased that what I found matched up with your records of your Mom’s birth!
I was born in Chatham Private Hospital in 1948, my sister 1944. At that time my parents lived in a house on E 12 Ave. Happy to add a bit more history to our family tree. Thank you!
You are most welcome.
I was born at Chatham House hospital in 1947 so it seems it was still a hospital at that time. My mother’s name was Olive Pearl Jensen. She and my father were married for 50 years before his passing. So it seems it was was not for unwed mothers. I remember the story told by my mother that my father had to help her up a long flight of stairs while she was about to have me.
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Thanks for commenting.
I happened upon your article and to my surprise the private hospital my grandmother was born in is on the list you posted. I now have a name, Glen Hospital. It was run by Miss Kate Smith who later adopted my grandmother. Thank you, I have been searching for years for a name.
If you have any suggestions on where I may find some history on Glen Hospital late 1920s. I would be most grateful.
My mother was born in 1946 and swears she was born in the house by a Dr McCallum ?? May be spelt wrong . My mother will dig up the papers she has .