A Coast Salish weaver says, just as the land for the Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital was a gift from the shíshálh people 60 years ago, a blanket she wove with help from the community is a symbol of cooperation and reconciliation.
In the months leading up to the 60th anniversary celebration Nov. 23, fibre artist Jessica Silvey created the blanket onsite at Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital and invited all staff, including nurses and doctors, to join her in weaving, while also building connections through conversation and shared experience.
“Weaving side-by-side on this blanket project gives Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous people the opportunity to get to know each other on a different level,” Silvey said in a news release. “Weaving brings people together, just as the hospital-land gift by the shíshálh people brought the Sunshine Coast community together.”
Leaders from shíshálh Nation donated the 11.2-acre parcel of land in 1962, to make way for the construction of the current Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital, which opened on Nov. 29, 1964. The blanket was commissioned for Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital by syiyaya Reconciliation Movement, the Sechelt Hospital Foundation and the Sunshine Coast Healthcare Auxiliary to mark the 60th anniversary and was gifted to shíshálh Nation and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) during the celebratory ceremony, attended by Elders, Indigenous leaders, dignitaries, health-care partners and members of the public.
“We want to acknowledge and honour the past shíshálh Chiefs and Matriarchs for their profound vision, wisdom and unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of the shíshálh people and communities of the Sunshine Coast,” lhe hiwus yalxwemult (Chief Lenora Joe) of shíshálh Nation, said in the release. “Their remarkable leadership and dedication have laid a strong foundation for accessible health care, ensuring that the needs of the community are met and everyone benefits from their caring guidance. Their legacy continues to inspire our collective efforts toward health and wellness for all.”
In the early 1900s, Sunshine Coast communities relied on the Columbia Coast Mission hospital ship or travelled to Vancouver to access health-care services. In 1930, St. Mary’s Hospital was established in Pender Harbour. As the Sunshine Coast population grew, so did the need for more centrally located health-care services.
The gift of the land created the opportunity for the new hospital to be built in 1964 and, in March 2015, at the request of shíshálh Nation and following consultation with the local community, VCH renamed the facility from St. Mary's Hospital to Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital, as part of the organization’s commitment to meaningful reconciliation.
In May 2023, VCH and shíshálh Nation signed a memorandum of understanding, reflecting this shared commitment to ongoing partnership and collaboration in promoting the health and wellness of the community.
“We are profoundly grateful for the enduring gift of the shíshálh Nation and for their dedication to improving the health and wellness of their community,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “We will continue to work together with Indigenous leaders and our health-care partners, investing in health care that supports Indigenous people on the Sunshine Coast and throughout B.C., and taking meaningful steps towards lasting reconciliation.”
The present-day Sechelt | shíshálh Hospital campus now includes a 63-bed acute care building, which serves Sechelt and the communities of Langdale, Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Halfmoon Bay and Pender Harbour.
“We are grateful for the generosity of shíshálh Nation and the Chiefs and Matriarchs who had the foresight to donate land and prioritize health care for the growing population on the Sunshine Coast,” said Darlene MacKinnon, vice-president of Coastal Community of Care for VCH. “Health-care delivery in Sechelt has changed substantially during the past 60 years. We look forward to continued collaboration with shíshálh Nation to deliver culturally safe, quality care that addresses the unique needs of the community and its members.”
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