Photo by Shaun Penner.

By Liam Verster

Community

Reverend Forbes Homestead and Pioneer Hospital opens to visitors

Jul 8, 2020 | 2:02 PM

The oldest log home and the first hospital in Grande Prairie has once again opened its doors to the public.

The Reverend Forbes Homestead and Pioneer Hospital, which is a designated Provincial Historic Resource Site, is offering free admission and tours to the public. It is open from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday. Tours are available outside those hours, and those interested can make a request to ctaws@cityofgp.com or bbullock@cityofgp.com.

Charles Taws, the Curator and Historic Resources Supervisor for the City of Grande Prairie, says the historic house, which dates back to 1912, has a restored parlour, dining room, kitchen and bedrooms. Visitors will be led through the house on tours and shown many antique household items including a pump organ, an old radio and furniture, and matching pitcher, washbasin and chamber pot.

The hospital, which dates back to 1911, has also been restored and features old and fairly primitive medical equipment. Taws says they have an old iron lung for treating polio patients as well as an antique dentist’s chair that belong to the first dentist in the area.

“The dentist chair is actually pretty cool because it dates to the same period of the hospital, but it’s actually a travelling dentist chair. It folds up and fits in a box, and when he takes the chair out, the box becomes a footstool, and you sit in the chair and then he’d work with you.

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“We have part of his original equipment there which includes a flywheel with a pedal, and when you push the pedal and it turns the flywheel. Now, the upper portion is missing, but that’s what he used to power the drill when he was drilling into people’s teeth. So when he was using the drill, he’d be constantly pedaling with one foot.”

COVID-19 protocols have been put in place to ensure the health and safety of visitors. Masks and gloves are available on request, hand sanitizer is available throughout the site, physical distancing is required, and capacity is limited. Along with the regular daily cleaning, the site will be cleaned and sanitized at least twice during operating hours between visits.

The Forbes moved to Grande Prairie from Fort Saskatchewan in 1911 and during their move, Mrs. Forbes lost many items, but one she managed to save was her tea set. Taws says she used to host afternoon tea quite regularly, and in the past, they have held successful tea party events to help keep the history alive. Taws says they’re planning for a social distancing tea event sometime in August, though it’s still in the planning stages. Details will be released at a future date.

Taws also says that many of the old trees around the historic site had become ill or died recently and had to be taken down for safety reasons. They will be replaced with new saplings this summer.