The Central Hospital

The Rekai Brothers

In 1950, John and Paul Rekai immigrated to Canada from Hungary. Both physicians by training, the Rekais purchased and converted an old house on Sherbourne Street into a small hospital. By 1957, the hospital had 32 beds and was known as the Central Hospital. The brothers focused on serving the diverse communities of Toronto by offering service in more than 30 languages and providing ethnically diverse cuisine to patients. The Central Hospital eventually became a public hospital and would go on to become ‘one of the first truly multicultural public hospitals in Ontario.’

The Rekai Centres

Multicultural Public Healthcare

In the late 1980s, the Central Hospital expanded to open the Rekai Centre near its original location on Sherbourne Street. The Centre focused on providing multi-lingual and multicultural care to elderly patients, often taking into account a patient’s traditional or culturally specific healing practices. It became the first non-profit nursing home to do so in Canada.

In the early 21st century, a second location was added, near the original location of the Wellesley Hospital. Known as the Rekai Centre at Wellesley Central Place, the 150-bed long-term care facility was constructed to reflect a welcoming, home-like environment with contained units, surrounding green spaces and a green roof.

The Wellesley-Central Hospital

New Life for Old Hospitals

In 1996, the Central Hospital merged with the Wellesley Hospital, forming the Wellesley Central Hospital. Although Wellesley Central Hospital was short-lived, ending operations in 1998, the hospital’s grounds on Wellesley Street were sold and redeveloped to provide new communities with affordable housing and accessible healthcare.

The Rekai Centre at Wellesley Central Place was the first to open in 2005. Shortly thereafter, Wellesley Central Residence opened, which provides 112 housing units: 50% of which are for people living with HIV/AIDS and 50% of which are for seniors.

The Wellesley-Central Hospital

Further Reading

–Joan Hollobon, The Lion’s Tale: A History of the Wellesley Hospital (1912-1987). Irwin Publishing: Toronto, 1987. 

–“Our History: Flip Sheet 1911-2011,” Wellesley Institute. 

–“History,” Rekai Centres.