Since opening its doors as London General Hospital in 1875, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has grown into one of Canada’s largest research-intensive acute care teaching hospitals, a transformation shaped by generations of patients, families, staff, physicians, researchers, and learners who continue to contribute to LHSC’s legacy and future. This past year, as LHSC marked its 150th anniversary, we celebrated this legacy in meaningful ways, from sharing our history with the community to bringing together retirees to reconnect with those who helped shape our history. These moments reflect a legacy that continues to guide and inspire our work today.
150 years of great care, teaching, and research
This milestone marked a renewed commitment to stewarding LHSC’s legacy for future generations. One of the most significant steps in this work was the donation of LHSC’s historical archives to Western Libraries at Western University. The collection, which includes handwritten records, photographs, and artifacts, spans more than a century and a half of LHSC’s history and is now preserved in a secure, climate-controlled facility where it will continue to support research, learning, and discovery.
Western Libraries have a long history of strength in health and medical archives. This collection is a natural fit. LHSC has done something truly commendable by ensuring these important records have a good home and future with us.
Anne Quirk, Archivist at Western Libraries
Honouring our past through storytelling
Building on this foundation of conservation, LHSC’s history was also brought to life for the public through a special 150th anniversary exhibit at the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame at 100 Kellogg Lane. Featuring artifacts, photographs, and stories of LHSC’s history, the exhibit invited visitors to explore how care has evolved, from the opening of London General Hospital in 1875 to today’s highly specialized, research-driven hospital system.
The exhibit is a testament to LHSC’s legacy of care, teaching, and research, and to the collaborative efforts of partners and historians, including Western University Archives and Special Collections, The Medical Artifact Collection, and Museum London.
Celebrating with community
At the heart of the anniversary year, however, have been the people whose personal connections to LHSC reach back decades. As part of the celebrations, more than 100 retirees returned to Victoria and Children’s hospitals for a special LHSC 150 Retiree Tea, reconnecting with former colleagues, sharing stories, and reflecting on their time at LHSC.
The event featured historical exhibits, including medical artifacts and nursing uniforms from across LHSC’s history, alongside personal reflections from retirees who worked in areas ranging from emergency care and surgery to nursing education and hospital operations. Current and former members of Team LHSC came together to celebrate shared experiences and lasting contributions.
Together, LHSC retirees represent a health-care community that has cared for London, southwestern Ontario, and beyond since 1875. Whether at the bedside, in an operating room, a lab, a kitchen, a classroom, or behind the scenes keeping things running, each of our retirees has played an important role in building the LHSC we know today.
Deborah Wiseman, LHSC 150 Co-Executive Sponsor and Vice President of Medicine, Emergency Services, Critical Care, Clinical Neurological Sciences, and Corporate Nursing Executive
For many attendees, the gathering was a chance to reconnect not only with people, but with LHSC, a place where their careers unfolded and where they helped shape the evolution of care across the region.
Marking the milestone
From preserved archives to deeply personal reunions at the Retiree Tea, LHSC’s 150th anniversary was more than a reflection on history, it was a celebration of the people and moments that continue to shape the organization.
The anniversary celebrations culminated in a full-day 150th anniversary event held across LHSC hospital sites on Friday, September 12, 2025, bringing together staff, physicians, patients, partners, and community members. The day featured guided tours, historical exhibits, presentations, and shared reflections that connected the organization’s past, present, and future.
This was a day to pause and celebrate the people and the purpose that have shaped LHSC over the past 150 years. From the opening of London General Hospital in 1875 to the world-class research and specialized care offered across our hospitals today, this legacy is made possible by the dedication of our staff, physicians, learners, volunteers, and community partners.
Dr. Christie MacDonald, LHSC 150 Co-Executive Sponsor, Interim Vice Chair of LHSC's Medical Advisory Committee, and Department Head of Emergency Medicine
These moments collectively reinforce a simple but enduring truth, LHSC’s history is not only preserved in archives and exhibits, but actively carried forward by the people who are shaping the future of care every day.