Royal Victoria Hospital

Location

Montreal, Quebec

Why it matters

Built in 1893 thanks to the philanthropic efforts of two local businessmen, the ‘Royal Vic’ grew into an elaborate complex of impressive stone structures. It has long been a prominent feature on the slope of Mont Royal, overlooking the downtown core. Over its long history on this site, the hospital housed pioneering medical research and practice, and was world-renowned as a teaching hospital.

Why it’s endangered

As part of the centralization of medical services in Montreal, the vast majority of the hospital’s departments were relocated to a new facility in 2015, leaving the Royal Vic largely abandoned. While neighbouring McGill University is studying how to integrate the site into its campus, the long-term future use and protection of the site remain unclear, and ad-hoc decisions made in the interim threaten the complex’s integrity.