Our History
Nearly 75 years of rehabilitation excellence
Since its official opening in 1937, St.
John's Rehab Hospital has evolved to become a national and provincial
leader in specialized rehabilitation.
The hospital’s origins date back to the 1884 founding of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine, Canada's only indigenous Anglican women's religious order. During the Riel Rebellion in Saskatchewan in 1885, the Sisters were called upon to manage a hospital being organized in Moose Jaw to care for those wounded in battle.
In 1933, the Sisterhood – who
were historically active in health care – responded to the community’s
need and directed their efforts to a new area: convalescent care. They
organized a Board of Trustees under the direction of The Honourable Vincent
Massey to finance and plan the construction of St. John’s Rehab
Hospital (then a convalescent hospital). On May 22, 1937, the
hospital opened its doors as the first Toronto-area facility to offer
rehabilitative care.
By 1941, the need for recovery care had grown exponentially, to the point where St. John’s began contemplating expanding beyond its 64 beds. In 1948, we were already a regional provider, caring for 716 patients annually from present-day Toronto, York Region and throughout Ontario. Today, St. John’s Rehab now has 160 beds and cares for about 2,700 inpatients annually, as well as a comprehensive outpatient program that sees approximately 40,000 visits per year.
Following the Second World War in the 1940s, St. John’s Rehab offered respite care for recovering Canadian soldiers. This tradition continues today, as we care for soldiers wounded in the current mission in Afghanistan.
As one of Cummer Avenue’s primary residents, St. John’s Rehab sought to have Cummer Avenue paved between Yonge Street and the hospital in 1947. Today, Cummer Avenue is a major North York thoroughfare.
In 1951, the Goodwin Gibson wing was added to the original Scadding Wing to provide 108 additional beds. The Gibson wing was eventually removed in a 1970s renovation and replaced by the current Gibson Garden.
In 1959, the hospital received its first accreditation award in recognition of health care excellence. In 2009, we received continued recognition of our leadership in rehabilitation care with a three-year accreditation from Accreditation Canada.
In 1960, the hospital’s active and supportive volunteer Auxiliary was formed. Over the past half-century, the Auxiliary (now known as the Volunteer Association) has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the hospital, and has been one of our most active sources of fundraising support. In the early 1960s, the Auxiliary helped fund the development of our original therapy pool, and have raised funds for numerous facility and landscape improvements. Today, our approximately 250 volunteers (including student volunteers) contribute more than 21,000 hours of service running our gift shop, lottery desk, shopping carts and special events.
For a brief period during the 1960s, the hospital had a children’s ward. Today, we provide specialized rehabilitation to adults recovering from life-changing illness or injury.
In 1973, the Agnew wing was constructed to meet increased demand for inpatient physical therapy.
The Sisterhood originally administered the hospital under the leadership
of Sister Beatrice Birchall (Administrator from 1935-1954),
Sister Vera Bainbridge (Administrator from 1954-1969)
and Sister Philippa Watson (Administrator from 1969-1996). Since
1996, the Sisters have continued to play a major role in emotional
and spiritual care for patients, in senior management and as members
of the Boards of Directors for both the hospital and foundation.
The 2000s saw the development of new specialized rehabilitation programs, including Canada’s only organ transplant rehabilitation program, which was launched in 2004, Ontario's only cancer rehabilitation program of its kind in 2006 and the short-term active reconditioning program in 2008. Innovative new outpatient programs include the Step Ahead Rehab Clinic launched in 2004 and the community falls prevention program which was introduced in 2010.
Today, St. John’s Rehab offers leading-edge care for many more of the most complex rehabilitation needs, including recovery from amputations, cardiovascular surgery, traumatic injuries, strokes, neurological conditions and major orthopaedic conditions. We are also home to Ontario’s only burn rehabilitation program.
In 2011, we opened our brand new facility: the John C. and Sally Horsfall Eaton Centre for Ambulatory Care. The facility is named in honour of the Eatons’ $2
million gift to St. John’s Rehab. Construction began in April 2010.
This 49,000 square-foot addition brings together all of the hospital’s outpatient services for the first time, including a new therapy pool, suites to practice activities of daily living, face-mask and splinting clinic for burn and sports injuries. Floor-to-ceiling windows 
provide a dramatic backdrop to the facility’s 25 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds. Existing inpatient treatment areas are now being renovated, and the hospital is being stocked with the latest treatment equipment. The project will be complete in summer 2012.
St. John’s Rehab Foundation has completed its $15-million Rebuilding Lives fundraising campaign to support the redevelopment project, as well as fund treatment equipment, clinical education and rehabilitation research. Our patients' needs still continue to rely on the generous support of our community.