Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal

This statue representing God stands on top of the main entrance of the Hôtel-Dieu in Montréal ( translated in English as "hostel of God"). It is the oldest hospital in Montreal, Quebec, and was the first hospital in North America north of Mexico.
The origins of the Hôtel-Dieu of Montréal date back to Paul Chomedey's arrival on the Island of Montreal in 1642 to found the French colony of Ville-Marie. With him came Jeanne Mance. She founded the hospital on October 8, 1645. This was confirmed by letters patent of Louis XIV of France in April 1669. Around 1850, the hospital became affiliated with the Montreal School of Medicine and Surgery.

This hospital has a pretty rich history. It was recorded the world's first removal of a kidney (1868), the world's first removal of a tongue and jaw (1872), the first femur transplant (1959), the first identification of an AIDS patient in Canada (1979), and the world's first successful recovery of a person with severe burns to 90% of the body (1981).

In 1996, it became one of the three hospitals to make up the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM). Good for me, I live one block away from this hospital. To see more pictures of the building, click on More About Me.