state of grace (hospital)

From the "Fun with Photoshop" department: an aura around the place I entered the world, Grace Hospital in Windsor.

The facility was launched by the Salvation Army in 1918 as a maternity hospital but quickly expanded into general services. Operations were merged with Hotel-Dieu Hospital in 1994. Shuttered since 2004, Grace has seen a steady physical decline, with few windows not boasting a crack or three. A local urban explorer documented the early stages of its decay. Part of the site is slated to be demolished while the rest will be converted into a long-term care facility.

Dad always referred to Grace as "the baby farm." For many years he purchased his Sunday New York Times at a convenience store a few doors east of Grace and often noted my connection to the hospital. Our visits to the neighbourhood these days are limited to dining at Shin Shin across the street. We tend to go there once a year for our fix of green beans in hot sauce. The combination of chili, ground pork, soy, garlic and green beans (a vegetable I used to despise but have slowly warmed up to thanks to this dish) has never worked as well anywhere else.

Photo taken October 10, 2008, shortly before tearing into a plate of green beans in hot sauce