Manitoba Heritage Council Commemorative Plaques

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army was founded in London, England, in 1865 by William Booth in response to the wretched conditions of the urban poor. As a Christian Church with an acute social conscience, The Salvation Army offers its "heart to God and its hand to man".

The first Winnipeg Corps was established in December 1886. Four years later, the Army founded the Rescue Home and Children's Shelter on Ross Avenue for destitute women and children. This home functioned until 1904 when Grace Hospital became the first incorporated hospital of The Salvation Army in Canada. A new hospital opened in 1906 on Arlington Street. Extensions were added during the next sixty years to meet community needs. It served as a maternity facility until 1929 when it became a general hospital.

The new Grace General Hospital opened on this site in 1967.