Modern day pioneers in James Bay

By Trudy Chiswell

Photos provided by Peggy Hanrahan

Two suitcases [with no wheels] and $70 was all the three had as they disembarked from the ferry in Victoria Harbour April 1, 1957. The little family had boarded the midnight ferry to Victoria two days after a 36 hour flight from England to Vancouver. Leaving family in England and Ireland, they came to Canada with a dream to care for older people in this land of great opportunities. John and Peggy Hanrahan were not afraid of hard work to achieve their goals, as many pioneers were before them. With their five and a half year old daughter, Christine, the family struck out to make a new life in a new land. Peggy still remembers getting off the ferry and seeing the flower bed outside the Empress spelling out, ‘Welcome to Victoria’: an omen of things to come!

1990 – Peggy, Christine and John Hanrahan

It is very rare in today’s society that you meet a pioneer, but that was my privilege one summer day when looking for an apartment on Superior Street. Each time I met with Peggy I heard little snippets of the story, until it raised my curiosity to learn more. I discovered that John, Peggy and Christine Hanrahan have left a lasting legacy in James Bay. Over the years they have been pioneers in creating first class care for seniors in Victoria.

With no job or a place to live when they landed in Victoria in 1957, little did they know that they would become ‘The Hanrahans of The Nursing Homes!’ It began in their first small home on Fairfield Road with three residents. Next, in 1959, came the Beacon Hill Villa on Superior Street. And in 1971, came Douglas House - the first new construction in Victoria built specifically for seniors. The family pioneered caring for seniors in Victoria before it became the multi-million dollar business of today. 

John was quoted in the newspaper once as saying, “I believe that the opportunities still exist in Canada for anyone who is willing to put forth the effort. It doesn’t matter where you come from, what matters is that you accept Canada and do your best to make this an even better country.” Their lives echoed that statement. John and Peggy had a strong faith in their own ability to succeed with hard work, intuition and perseverance.

Within a few days of landing in Victoria, John had a job as a nursing orderly at the Royal Jubilee Hospital despite negative responses from employment offices. Peggy also found work as a housekeeper. Within six months they bought a home on Fairfield Road with a loan of $100 from Peggy’s Aunt, where they were able to care for three older residents. Giving the residents the option of having their own belongings around them, they set a new standard that became a pattern as they went forward. Peggy looked after the bookkeeping as well as being the chief cook and bottle washer while John worked in the hospital.

“At that time in 1957 we had no idea we had started a new trend in Victoria. From then on we realised we could and would improve the lives of the elderly in every way possible” Peggy commented.

There were many moves to better accommodation, a poor partnership at one point, but the family continued to press on and improve their lot in life. In 1959 they sold the house on Fairfield and purchased 635 Superior to start a fully licenced care home for 10 residents. Placing an advertisement in the newspaper, they looked for someone to lend them money to purchase furniture for the new place. They were in business! Beacon Hill Villa came into existence. Peggy was still chief cook and bottle washer as well as the administrator, and responsible for keeping the wood burning furnace going. Hard work!

When their entrepreneurial spirit saw a need, they acted. Availability of ambulances at the time was poor. In 1962 the couple started an ambulance service that continued until the province of British Columbia provided a fleet of ambulances in 1974.

The McClure Heritage house, next door to Beacon Hill Villa, was purchased in 1963 for their family to live in. With a shortage of nursing homes in Victoria, they soon saw more advantage to move themselves into a rented apartment, providing more available accommodation for those in need. With a connecting walkway between the two houses, McClure house became an annex to the original home for another 14 rooms. Beacon Hill Villa was now full with 34 residents.

1971 – stage 1 Douglas House opens

The family bought and sold many properties over the next 12 years.  The start of the current Douglas House began with the tearing down of a five suite apartment building at 46b Douglas Road and a house on the adjoining property. The dream began to take shape when Douglas House opened October 30, 1971. It was the first of its kind in Victoria. The new concept was a hotel-like lifestyle of private rooms with in-suite bathrooms, a main dining room and personal care for residents. Rooms were connected to the main office by a bell system for residents to call if they needed help. The running of the business was always a family affair; a privately owned business with no government funding.

Over the next few years they purchased two more apartment buildings adjacent to Douglas House and connected all the buildings with glass walkways. Later, growing with the changes of people’s availability to get personal care at home, Douglas House was turned into an intermediate care facility housing 80 to 90 residents, with full-care staff. But it was still not enough for the entrepreneurial family as they could see that some of their patients needed more care. Purchasing two derelict houses at 655 and 659 Niagara the couple planned to build a nursing home. After an uproar from the Heritage Society in James Bay community, the city finally relented that the crumbling houses were not heritage, but just old homes that could not be repaired. The houses were torn down and on May 28, 1984 Douglas Care Manor became a business providing 25 private rooms with in-suite bathrooms and hospital beds for those who needed more care.

With all the building and additions over the years, Peggy’s brother John Johnson, was the builder. Peggy’s daughter Christine, was now the administrator of Douglas House; definitely a family affair!

They say behind every successful man is a strong woman. That certainly is true of Peggy Hanrahan! Over the years of newspaper articles I noticed that she took a background position to John, but the couple worked as a team. Even after divorce, John and Peggy talked every day, nurtured their grandchildren and stayed best friends. The couple sold Douglas House in 1997 and purchased an apartment building on Superior. John died in 2007, but Peggy still carries on. Now a senior herself, Peggy is still a strong woman who is a hands-on, active manager of the apartment building on Superior Street. Still an amazing woman!

The family have been pioneers in the area of seniors care in Victoria, specifically in James Bay. Wanting to give a better standard of life for seniors, they have left a lasting legacy the community can be proud of.  John, Peggy and Christine Hanrahan did what they loved to do; probably a good recipe for success in anyone’s life.