What's in a Name?
It’s clear that Nora Frances Henderson was a well respected politician who was the first woman in Canada to be elected to the board of control of a municipality. She was a principled individual who worked tirelessly, dedicating her life to improving the lives of others. She was also instrumental in seeing health care enhanced to serve Mountain residents. She was the female leader who helped blaze the trail for many women to take leadership roles in our community. In the early 1950s her contribution to our community was recognized albeit posthumously by the naming of the then new Henderson Hospital. It is fitting that an individual that dedicated so much of her life to the community for the public good is recognized by having a publicly funded hospital named after her.
Over the last 55 years, taxpayers have funded this hospital in the hundreds of millions of dollars. A public hospital should reflect stability and longevity. It makes no sense to change the name of our hospitals every so many years!
Does it make sense that a name should be so easily discarded showing a total lack of respect for many of those that have served before us. In the hearts and souls of many residents in our community, the Henderson Hospital will always be the Henderson Hospital.
In 2006, the Hamilton Health Sciences board made the decision to change the name of the Henderson Hospital to the Juravinski Hospital behind closed doors without engaging the broader community. It is unfortunate that the HHS continue to trample on many of the sensitivities in this community. It is clear that we need to recognize the financial contributions from individuals however; it should not come at the expense of individuals that have been previously recognized for their life’s work.
Do you believe that publicly funded hospitals’ names should be up for sale? How do you put a dollar value on an individual who has dedicated so much of her life for the public good? Why is it that the HHS did not consider renaming the General Hospital? St. Joseph’s Hospital, which also received a significant contribution from Charles and Margaret Juravinski, did not change the name of the hospital but recognized the contribution through the naming of a tower? Why is it that DeGroote, Joyce and Braley all made significant contributions to McMaster University, but the name remains McMaster University?
It is becoming clear that the nonelected board members of the Hamilton Health Sciences have decided to make decisions in a vacuum with no consideration or consultation with the taxpayers of this community.
I appreciate the board has many challenges and we need to recognize their efforts, however this is a pattern of decision making by the board that shows contempt for any engagement of the general public.
