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Nova Scotia’s last Catholic hospital is now secular, as Antigonish’s hospital officially ends its affiliation with the Sisters of St. Martha — an order of nuns that opened the facility in 1905.
The Sisters of St. Martha have been leaders in health care in the community, stewards and spiritual advisers at the hospital. But on Thursday, their tenure came to an end. St. Martha’s Regional Hospital is now officially Antigonish Memorial Regional Hospital.
“For some, they say it’ll always be St. Martha’s,” says Sister Brendalee Boisvert, congregation leader for the Marthas, as they’re known colloquially.
Boisvert notes the group’s declining numbers — and their average age of 87 — played a big part in the decision to step away. The change, Boisvert said, will mark a new chapter for the 49 remaining nuns. While their ranks may be getting smaller, they plan to serve the community for as long as they can.
A scene from the operating room at St. Martha’s Hospital from 1925. Present are Dr. J. L. MacIsaac, Sister Mary Dolorosa (Annie) Murphy, Sister Philip Neri (Margaret) MacDonald, Dr. W.F. MacKinnon, and two unidentified nurses. (Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha Archives)
The Marthas had hoped that another group, the New Brunswick-based Catholic Health International, would take over their mission, but Nova Scotia Health and the provincial government declined to accept their suggestion.
“We did consider that, but our relationship was with the sisters,” said Brett MacDougall, vice-president of operations for Nova Scotia Health’s eastern zone. “We worked with them for a long period of time. That’s where we felt the value.”
Since 1996, an agreement has been in place between the Sisters of St. Martha and the province to ensure the hospital’s policies were aligned with Catholic beliefs. Starting in 2019, medical assistance in dying has been offered at an adjacent building since it was not permitted in the hospital.
Abortions have never been allowed at the hospital either due to the hospital’s Catholic affiliation. Nova Scotia Health says not to expect any changes to services to happen right away.
“We haven’t had those conversations … to set up that type of service,” said MacDougall. “But again, that doesn’t mean that in future conversations that that’s not something we explore.”
A monument to the Sisters of St. Martha’s legacy at the hospital is now located near the entrance to the newly renamed Antigonish Regional Memorial Hospital. (The Gift Corner at Antigonish Memorial Regional Hospital/Facebook)
Since 2017, when the Nova Scotia government started covering the cost of medical abortions — the term used for abortions that are induced by medication — it’s become the overwhelming choice for most women seeking to end a pregnancy, advocate Martha Paynter said.
Doctors at the Antigonish hospital have been able to prescribe medical abortions but in a number of circumstances, including for pregnancies longer than 10 weeks, a procedural abortion is still the best and sometimes only option available.
In that case, the majority of people seeking out the procedure go to the Rose Clinic in Halifax, which offers a toll-free line for women seeking the service. It’s about a two-hour drive from Antigonish.
“For some patients, it’s extremely taxing to make that travel in one way or another, whether it’s financially taxing or socially taxing,” said Paynter.
“And if Nova Scotia Health wants to be a place that offers patient-centred, person-centred care, then we want to be expanding these access points and ensuring that all patients have the ability to make choices that work best for their lives.”
These two statues, pictured here outside St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish, N.S., have been moved to the Antigonish Heritage Museum. (Antigonish Heritage Museum)
For now, the only major changes at Antigonish Memorial Regional Hospital are cosmetic.
The old signage, including religious emblems, are slowly being replaced, and two wooden statues — of a nursing student and a nun — have already been moved to the Antigonish Heritage Museum.
“I don’t know if the staff, patients, others will feel any other sort of significant change other than the presence of the sisters themselves,” said Brett MacDougall.
“Their presence, their support, how they supported staff, has been, you know, really remarkable.”
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