Antigonish Hospital Becomes Secular as Sisters of St. Martha End 120-Year Affiliation
The Sisters of St. Martha have ended their 120-year affiliation with the hospital in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, which they opened in 1905. The facility, now renamed Antigonish Memorial Regional Hospital, is undergoing cosmetic changes to become secular, though patients seeking procedural abortions must still travel to Halifax.
The Sisters of St. Martha have officially ended their 120-year affiliation with the hospital in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, a facility the religious order originally opened in 1905. Previously known as St. Martha’s Regional Hospital, the institution has been renamed Antigonish Memorial Regional Hospital and is now secular.
The decision to end the long-standing relationship was driven by the declining numbers within the order. There are currently 49 remaining nuns in the Sisters of St. Martha, with an average age of 87. Despite the transition, the sisters will continue to serve the community. A proposal for New Brunswick-based Catholic Health International to take over the hospital's mission was declined by Nova Scotia Health and the provincial government.
The hospital's alignment with Catholic beliefs dates back to 1996, when an agreement between the Sisters of St. Martha and the province formally aligned hospital policies with those beliefs. Because medical assistance in dying was not permitted inside the hospital under its Catholic affiliation, the service has instead been offered at an adjacent building since 2019.
Abortions have never been allowed at the hospital due to its Catholic ties. While doctors at the Antigonish facility can prescribe medical abortions, patients requiring procedural abortions—typically necessary after 10 weeks of pregnancy—must travel approximately two hours to the Rose Clinic in Halifax. This requirement continues to cause financial and social strain for patients.
Currently, the transition to a secular facility involves only cosmetic changes. Religious emblems on old signage are being replaced, and two wooden statues have been moved from the hospital to the Antigonish Heritage Museum.