Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) is the oldest hospital in British Columbia and one of the busiest in the Fraser Health Authority. It is located in New Westminster overlooking the Fraser River and is the only hospital in the Lower Mainland that is immediately adjacent to a Skytrain station (Sapperton).
In 2020 inpatient bed capacity increased to 490 with the opening of the Mental Health Substance Use Wellness Centre (MHSUWC). In 2017 inpatient bed capacity was reported as 447, and the site was served by 3326 employees.The hospital campus is L shaped fronting five streets: East Columbia Street, Sherbrooke Street, Allen Street, Keary Street, and Brunette Avenue. The total square footage of the site is 607,859.
1862Oct, 7
Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) opens as the first hospital in the Colony of British Columbia
Choose Another Date
Events on 1862
- 30Jan
USS Monitor
The first American ironclad warship, the USS Monitor is launched. - 31Jan
White dwarf
Alvan Graham Clark discovers the white dwarf star Sirius B, a companion of Sirius, through an 18.5-inch (47 cm) telescope now located at Northwestern University. - 13Mar
Emancipation Proclamation
American Civil War: The U.S. federal government forbids all Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves, thus effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation. - 15May
Abraham Lincoln
President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture. It is later renamed the United States Department of Agriculture. - 17Aug
Dakota War of 1862
American Indian Wars: The Dakota War of 1862 begins in Minnesota as Lakota warriors attack white settlements along the Minnesota River.