This year, Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada marks a major milestone: 100 years of providing specialized care to children with complex orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions.
Founded in 1925 in Montreal, the hospital was created to help children affected by polio and other serious conditions, regardless of their ability to pay. Over the past century, it has grown into a world-renowned centre for orthopedic care, research, and innovation.
100-year anniversary poster at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada, Montreal, Dec. 15, 2025. (Adriana Gentile, CityNews)
Century of hope and healing
Gary McKeown, chairman of the board of governors, reflected on the hospital’s long history.
“When you think back to 1925, to have a hospital in Montreal that was developed especially to take care of polio and all the different types of diseases that we’ve had there, to have survived 100 years is fantastic,” he said.
He noted the hospital’s move to its current location beside the McGill University Health Centre’s Glen Campus 10 years ago as another important milestone.
“We had the hospital on the hill on Mount Royal, which was beautiful and close to everybody’s heart. So when we opened it up here 10 years ago, it has made a big difference for everybody.”
Patient room at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada, Montreal, Dec. 15, 2025. (Adriana Gentile, CityNews)
Shriners: the public face of care
McKeown also emphasized the role of the Shriners organization in promoting the hospital.
“The Shriners ourselves with their fezzes, we’re the public image of the hospital. I’ve always said that the Shriners Hospital is the best kept secret in Montreal but when you see the Shriners with the fezzes down Sainte-Catherine Street or St. Patrick’s Parade, people are always shouting and saying, ‘hey we love you, you helped my son, you helped my cousin,’ whatnot. So it’s certainly the public image of the hospital.”
Gary McKeown, chairman of the board of governors at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada, Montreal, Dec. 15, 2025. (Adriana Gentile, CityNews)
Innovative treatments and global impact
The hospital has also been a leader in research, particularly for rare bone disorders such as osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease.
Kelly Thorstad, acting hospital administrator, highlighted some of these breakthroughs.
“It is so important for us to have our patients and families at the centre of everything that we do. We are constantly trying to improve our service offer of our patient-centered care to make sure that we’re helping our children to achieve all of their dreams, achieve their goals and be the best version of themselves,” she said.
Kelly Thorstad, acting hospital administrator at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada, Montreal, Dec. 15, 2025. (Adriana Gentile, CityNews)
Thorstad also described the hospital’s world-first treatments.
“We had innovative ground-breaking treatments for those living with osteogenesis imperfecta. It’s brittle bone disease and it was our site that was able to create the bisphosphonate treatment protocol that’s now used around the world for children living with osteogenesis imperfecta. We were also able to develop the FASI Duval rod so that we could help these kids actually be able to walk which was not possible at other times.”
She added that the hospital’s “Shriners magic” comes from a culture of generosity and care.
“The kindness, the warm family feeling, it spreads through everything that we do for our patients and our families. And we just really focus on making sure that we bring research and education to the bedside to do that knowledge translation so that our kids are receiving the most innovative care.”
Hospital hallway at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada, Montreal, Dec. 15, 2025. (Adriana Gentile, CityNews)
A patient’s perspective
For patients, the hospital is a place of comfort and reassurance. Charlotte Cau, who recently had surgery for scoliosis, shared her experience.
“They take good care of me when I’m in pain. They always gives me the right medication and everything. Then when I get up or sit down and start to feel unwell, they reassure me and tell me it’s OK, that I can’t do everything right away.”
When asked about the hospital environment, she said: “Everyone here is kind, they help a lot all the time.”
Charlotte Cau, a patient, with her family at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada, Montreal, Dec. 15, 2025. (Adriana Gentile, CityNews)
Looking to the next 100 years
As the hospital celebrates a century of service, staff are focused on the future.
“We want to continue serving all the patients and families that we can. We want our doors to be open and we want to continue with that innovation, research and wonderful clinical care,” Thorstad said.
Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada exterior, Montreal, Dec. 15, 2025. (Adriana Gentile, CityNews)
McKeown encouraged families in the community to reach out. “Come on down and see us and if you need some help, call us. We’ll take care of you and it doesn’t matter where you are, we’re here to help.”
Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada continues to provide specialized orthopedic care, rehabilitation, and support for children across Canada, building on a legacy of medical breakthroughs and compassionate care.
