Gander obstetrics unit dedicated to long-time local doctor

The halls of James Paton Memorial Hospital in Gander, N.L., carry the impact of Dr. Peter Blackie.

The floors are worn with his proverbial footprints, the departments have been molded by his influence, and the staff here are more than aware of the impact he made during his more than 50 years of practice.

Blackie died last February. While never forgotten at the hospital, his name will be etched in the fabric of the building itself through a dedication of the new obstetrics unit.

"It is a place that symbolizes the care, compassion, and unwavering commitment to health and well-being that Dr. Blackie embraced throughout his career," said Craig Davis, COO of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Service's central zone.

The first Gander-raised doctor, Blackie first began practising medicine in 1966. He didn't officially retire until November 2023. 

There were few roles Blackie didn't fill during his career. He had a family practice, worked in the emergency room, led the team as chief of staff at James Paton and then become its medical director. He also looked after the military personnel enlisted at the Gander Canadian Armed Forces base and was the doctor who saw to pilots and air traffic controllers.

On top of all that, he delivered thousands of babies at the unit that will now bear his name.

"[It's] the last sort of major thing I'm familiar with that he was involved in, which was the efforts to get this unit open," said Gander Mayor Percy Farwell. "I think [it's] very appropriate that it would bear his name going forward."

For nearly two years, obstetrics patients were diverted to the hospital in Grand Falls-Windsor, nearly 100 kilometres away. The provincial government blamed staff shortages. The prolonged closure prompted protests in Gander and the pressure paid off. The unit re-opened in March 2024, a month after Blackie died.

Having his knowledge in dealing with the reinstatement was vital, said Farwell.

"I always had instant credibility because he was sitting there next to me and he didn't have to say anything," he said. "That's the sort of influence he certainly has. I certainly admire and respect him a great deal."

No one knew off the work Blackie did behind the scenes more than his family. While they shared him with the public and medical community, he always made the time for those he loved most.

"Family and community were the most important things to him so to have that recognized in such a meaningful way is fantastic," said his oldest child, Barbara Blackie. 

In his spare time, her dad was also an amateur geologist and historian, and was one of the people who helped start the North Atlantic Aviation Museum in the 1990s. Despite all that, his daughter said he always found a way to spend quality time with his family.

"He'd stuff old newspapers, old envelopes, matches in one pocket and a pack of bacon or hot dogs in another pocket and we'd go traipsing through the forest, somewhere in the wilderness where we'd light a fire, have a snack and spend the day outdoors," she said. "That was how he managed to make sure, when we were little, how he got quality time with us."

"He was a very curious soul, he always wanted to know more about things, even on these hikes that we went on."

He also inspired his daughter in following her dad's footsteps.

"How he practiced with empathy, how he treated the person in the family, how he was respectful and so kind and caring in every interaction that he had — that was a huge inspiration for me as a physician."

Since it re-opened one year ago, 179 babies have been born at Gander's obstetrics unit. To have her dad's name associated with the unit — and its role in the community — is an honour, says Barbara Blackie.

"Dedication, responsibility, honour, empathy, compassion, all those big emotions — love — that drive to do better, community values — all of those things that are wrapped up in everything about today, which is sort of dad in a nutshell."

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