Mount Carmel Clinic, established in Winnipeg in 1926, evolved from specific needs of a particular ethnic group. During the period of rapid growth and development in the late 1800's and early 1900's, the businessmen of Winnipeg aggressively advertised for immigrants. Although recognizing the economic need for immigrants, the city was painfully slow in responding to the social needs of the community.

As these new immigrants arrived in Winnipeg , the majority concentrated in the North End where they were able to find cheap housing. The physical isolation of the community due to its location to the north of the railway yards, together with prejudice directed towards them, led the immigrant community to develop business, professional, social and religious institutions of their own. Access to health services was a major area of concern due to inability to pay. Although hospital outpatient departments had facilities to provide care for the poor, records included the ethnicity of the patient, which were then tabulated and printed in the paper.

In this environment, out of concern for the perception that Jews were overusing free services, the Jewish community established the Mount Carmel Clinic to 'look after their own'. The Clinic was established in a house on Pritchard Avenue and in 1929 it moved into a new facility at 120 Selkirk Avenue, funded by the Jewish community. Like that of many other Canadians, by the late 1940's the economic conditions of the Jews had improved, resulting in little need for the services of the Clinic.

Anne Ross was hired as a nurse in 1948 and together with a bookkeeper-secretary, these two full-time staff operated the Clinic. With only three or four patients coming to the Clinic each day, it was soon obvious that its very survival depended upon a change in orientation. Under the leadership of Anne Ross, the emphasis of the Clinic changed over the next two decades from an ethnically based Clinic serving all who wished to use the facilities to an aggressively community oriented service catering to the needs of the community in which it was situated. The thinking behind the change in focus is best articulated by Anne Ross in her book 'Clinic with a Heart' "..health workers [in 1948] emphasized curing only the physical affliction, without regard for the contributing factors of the illness. From my perspective, such a philosophy was terribly narrow-minded and almost nonsensical. I believed in a system of health care that was not acknowledged at the time. I believed in the idea of treating the individual - or family - as holistic entities. Every person responds physically and emotionally to their immediate environment and to their network of friends and family members. I felt it was highly advisable to investigate these factors as a function of an individual's general health."

Over the next twenty years, a number of initiatives were undertaken as a result of the shift in philosophy from passive dispenser of services to actively assessing and responding to community needs. The establishment of a regular roster of volunteer doctors allowed public health nurses the option of referring patients to Mount Carmel Clinic rather than to a hospital setting. As well, immunization programs were offered out of the Clinic. Home visits were increased to ensure proper follow-up of treatment and to provide information about preventing illness and maintaining good health. During this same period, Mount Carmel Clinic took a lead role in providing family planning information to mostly young and low-income women, despite the fact that this contravened Federal law.

In addition to the various immigrant groups arriving in the city during the 1950's and 1960's, a wave of Aboriginal and Metis were also moving into Winnipeg from reserves in the hope that the economic situation in the city would provide greater opportunity. Adjustment was often difficult, and many of these newly arrived individuals were forced to live in poor housing as a result of their economic situation. The need for improvements in the health of children was identified due to the prevalence of upper respiratory and ear infections seen at the Clinic. For a variety of reasons such as living conditions and an inability to cope, the prescribed treatment was often not carried out resulting in a worsening of the child's condition. The response of the Clinic was the development of a day hospital where the children attended each day and were returned home at night. In this way the family unit was not disrupted and the Clinic was able to avert a more serious illness. At the same time, staff worked with families to help them cope with the myriad issues they faced.

Many thought that the advent of Medicare in the late 1960s would result in the Clinic outliving its usefulness but this proved not to be the case. Patients continued in growing numbers to attend the Clinic for a variety of reasons, but underlying its continuing relevance to the community was an appreciation for the dignity with which individuals were treated. At this time, a variety of programs were available, including counselling, a milk fund for 'at risk' pregnant women, free dental care, pharmacy and a day nursery. By the early 1970's, the 2500 square feet of space, providing services to 120 clients per day, was clearly not adequate to house the variety of programs and services. Social workers and the nutritional counsellor occupied a rented house nearby and the Day Nursery was accommodated in a trailer. Through persistent effort, the necessary funds were procured to build a new facility at the Clinic's present location, 886 Main Street, following about ten years of negotiation and spanning two provincial governments.

During this same period Mount Carmel Clinic played an advocacy role in issues perceived as health related. Two issues of particular emphasis in the history of the Clinic's advocacy work included improved housing and the ongoing struggle to control the price of milk. Briefs were presented to the government in the early 1970's to make the case for property tax adjustments for the elderly to enable them to continue living in their own homes. A request was also made to build Senior Citizens Homes to enable elderly residents to stay in the area. A major concern expressed in these briefs related to the sub-standard quality of rental housing available to those living on low incomes. The Clinic advocated for the upgrading of existing houses in the Point Douglas and North End areas through purchase and renovation with an option to buy, and for more public housing in the area. It was gratifying to see the establishment of the Neighbourhood Improvement Program in 1974 with funding from three levels of government.

Since moving into the new facility in 1982, the programs at Mount Carmel Clinic have continued to evolve and grow. The Anne Ross Day Nursery now has its own building adjacent to the Clinic with space for 45 children. Newer programs such as the Cross-Cultural Counselling Program, the Diabetes and Hepatitis C Clinics, Teen Clinic, the R.B. Russell Student Health Clinic and the Parenting Student Support Program arose in response to the needs of the community, consistent with the approach pioneered by Anne Ross in the 1950's.

The work of the Clinic has been recognized not only in the province of Manitoba but also across Canada and into the United States. It has been seen by many to model a concept of total care that is responsive to community needs and that addresses root causes of poor health. In terms of economics, the focus on health promotion and illness prevention that is integrated within all Clinic programs is undoubtedly a cost-effective approach with positive health benefits for community residents.

For more information on the history of Mount Carmel Clinic, the following two publications are available for purchase by contacting the Clinic at (204) 582-2311:

Clinic With a Heart. The Story of Mount Carmel Clinic by Anne G. Ross

Mount Carmel Clinic. A History 1926-1986 by Dee Dee Rizzo