Bridging Past and Present: author Kristen den Hartog visits Sunnybrook

On March 26, award-winning novelist Kristen den Hartog, author of The Roosting Box, visited Sunnybrook. During the visit, we had the opportunity to take her on a tour of the Sunnybrook Centre for Independent Living (SCIL), highlighting its prosthetics and amputee program. She also visited the Sunnybrook Archives, and the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre, where she read passages from her book to residents. Those in attendance enjoyed the chance to learn more about Sunnybrook’s roots as a military hospital and how care has evolved since the war.

Joining den Hartog on the tour was Dr. Andy Smith, president and CEO, members of our board of directors, members of the Canadian Forces College and the Veterans Advisory Committee of the Board.

The first stop was SCIL, where the group was joined by Dr. Amanda Lee Mayo for an extensive look at the prosthetics and amputee program. The program provides customized prosthetic solutions that restore mobility and independence for patients. Seeing firsthand how modern technology is improving the lives of amputees offered a powerful contrast to the historical challenges faced by wounded soldiers returning from war.

Following the SCIL tour, den Hartog visited the Sunnybrook Archives. There, she explored artifacts, photographs and records that document Sunnybrook’s evolution from a military hospital to a globally-recognized health sciences centre. The archives house personal stories of veterans who were once patients, offering a reminder of how medicine, rehabilitation and care have transformed over the decades.

At the end of the tour, Dr. Smith introduced den Hartog at the Veterans Centre, where she read passages from The Roosting Box, which explores the history of Christie Street Hospital, a facility established to accommodate soldiers returning from World War I.

“Wounded men began coming home by the thousands to a country that was unprepared. They had missing limbs, damaged faces, shell shock, tuberculosis and gas poisoning. Many had multiple wounds and illnesses. All across the country, makeshift hospitals were set up in schools, hotels and even private homes,” den Hartog shared during her reading.

During the Second World War, the number of injured soldiers once again overwhelmed Toronto’s medical facilities. Concerns about overcrowding and substandard conditions prompted the establishment of Sunnybrook, which, much like Christie Street Hospital, was not fully completed until after the war had ended. The first patient transfer from Christie Street to Sunnybrook took place on September 26, 1946.

Sunnybrook has evolved from its original role as Canada’s largest veterans care hospital into an internationally recognized centre for excellence in health care, education and research. The Sunnybrook Veterans Centre continues to be the largest veterans care facility in Canada.

“Being home to Canada’s largest Veterans Care Centre, we work in close partnership with Veterans Affairs Canada,” said Dr. Smith. “Our interprofessional teams provide compassionate and specialized care to over 160 Veteran residents form World War Two, Korea, and more modern conflicts.”

After the reading, den Hartog signed copies and spoke with Veterans. The visit emphasized the importance of preserving and sharing the stories of Canada’s Veterans. Through her writing, she has preserved the memory of Canada’s first Veteran’s hospital, and her visit reinforced how that legacy continues at Sunnybrook.