Sunnybrook Archives

• Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Sunnybrook Hospital
• Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Sunnybrook Hospital

• Healthcare Institution

In 1928, Alice M. Kilgour donated the Sunnybrook Farm estate in the memory of her husband, Joseph Kilgour, to the City of Toronto for use as a public park.

In 1943 the City of Toronto transferred the park as a gift to the Government of Canada for the construction of a new hospital that would accommodate the needs of Veterans of World War One and those who were returning from service during World War Two.

On June 12, 1948, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King announced the official opening of Canada’s largest veteran’s hospital, known as Sunnybrook Hospital.

Hospital wings were named as memorials to those who have served:
• Ypres – to honour those who fought for Canada in World War One;
• Ortona and Falaise – to honour the Canadian army during the Second World War;
• Atlantic – to honour the Canadian Navy;
• Lancaster and Spitfire to honour the Royal Canadian Air Force.

On October 1, 1966, the Government of Canada transferred the administration of Sunnybrook’s land and facilities to the University of Toronto. This transfer resulted in the hospital becoming a public teaching hospital. Between 1966 and 1975 Sunnybrook established the largest trauma unit in North America, Canada's first air ambulance service an Canada's largest centre for the care of burn injuries. Other internationally recognized areas of leadership in education and research include obstetrics, brain injury, cardiac and stroke care, and orthopaedics services. With 500 beds and community living services, Sunnybrook remains the largest facility for the care of Veterans in Canada. The Department of Veterans Affairs continues to provide support and a range of services for Canadian veterans and their families through their office located in K-Wing. The cost of this transfer from military to teaching hospital was the token sum of one silver dollar.

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is located in geographic centre of Toronto Ontario.

The mission of the Sunnybrook Archives is to identify, acquire, preserve and provide access to the corporate records –regardless of format—of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. These corporate records provide information on the historical development and achievements of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and its predecessor bodies: Sunnybrook Veterans’ Hospital and Sunnybrook Hospital. Other records in the Archives include those related to the merger between Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Women’s College Hospital, Sunnybrook Red Cross Lodge and The Toronto Military Orthopaedic Hospital (known commonly as The Christie Street Veterans’ Hospital).

The Sunnybrook Archives is located in K Wing of the hospital and is open to both external and internal researchers by appointment.

finding aids are available

Sunnybrook Archives is open to the public:
Tuesdays 8:30 - 3:00
Fridays 8:30 - 4:30
*Monday, Wednesday and Thursday by appointment olny.

Services include: reference and research; class visits; public history exhibits; and military history reference library.

Photographs and other records may be scanned or photocopied upon request. A reproduction fee may apply:
JPG $2.50
Photograph print $5.00
Photograph mounted $25.00
Photocopies 25¢/page

Document Delivery:
Courier / Postage and Handling Fees = TBD based on size and weight of contents to be sent by Canada Post or by courier.