Curated Collection of Vintage Photographs of Paramedics and Ambulances

We have shared an album of police officers, one of firefighters and their trucks, this week we are sharing vintage photographs of paramedics and their vehicles over the past 100 years.

We love searching through the Toronto Archives and the Toronto Public Library Digital Archives to find a glimpse of our city’s and our province’s past. For each post, we choose a subject and then see what kinds of images we can find to share. Many images are available for sale if you wish to make them a print for your home.

Let us know what interesting things you see in the images via social media.

Paramedics - 1902 - Group of men posing outside of the ramparts with cannon and ambulance
1902 – Group of men posing outside of the ramparts with cannon and ambulance
Paramedics - 1905 - H. Ellis private ambulance
1905 – H. Ellis private ambulance
Paramedics - 1911 - St. John Ambulance women
1911 – St. John Ambulance women
Paramedics - 1911 - The Manchester of Canada, Oshawa illustrated.
1911 – The Manchester of Canada, Oshawa illustrated.
Paramedics - 1912 - 1914 - Ambulance given to the Toronto General Hospital by Sir John Eaton
1912 – 1914 – Ambulance given to the Toronto General Hospital by Sir John Eaton
Paramedics - 1914 - Ambulance at rear of trek party
1914 – Ambulance at rear of trek party
Paramedics - 1915 - Canadian Red Cross ambulance
1915 – Canadian Red Cross ambulance
1923 - aug 19 - Wawa Hotel, putting injured in ambulance
1923 – aug 19 – Wawa Hotel, putting injured in ambulance
1925 - July 7 - St John's Ambulance Corps, (Personnel Department)
1925 – July 7 – St John’s Ambulance Corps, (Personnel Department)
1927 - aug 30 - C.N.E., Prince of Wales shaking hands in ambulance
1927 – aug 30 – C.N.E., Prince of Wales shaking hands in ambulance
1928 - Morris 6-wheeled ambulance, side
1928 – Morris 6-wheeled ambulance, side
1928 - sept 19 - Morris 6-wheeled ambulance, front
1928 – sept 19 – Morris 6-wheeled ambulance, front
1929 - march 22 - New police ambulance, front
1929 – march 22 – New police ambulance, front
1929 - march 22 - New police ambulance, rear
1929 – march 22 – New police ambulance, rear
1946 - Kevin W Moore - city council was considering the purchase of an ambulance when Schram arrived to solve the problem. Using his army re-establishment credit and gratuities; he purchased this Red Cross ambulance.
1946 – Kevin W Moore – city council was considering the purchase of an ambulance when Schram arrived to solve the problem. Using his army re-establishment credit and gratuities; he purchased this Red Cross ambulance.
1962 - North York Ambulance
1962 – North York Ambulance
1967 - Boris Spremo - Ambulance and police are shown outside the Sherman Court bungalow where Salvatori Sammy Triumbari; 45; was gunned to death at dawn today.
1967 – Boris Spremo – Ambulance and police are shown outside the Sherman Court bungalow where Salvatori Sammy Triumbari; 45; was gunned to death at dawn today.
1967 - Norman James - The 106-bed wingham district hospital and Ambulance. It has no resident doctor. Doctors are there from 9 a.m. to noon
1967 – Norman James – The 106-bed Wingham district hospital and Ambulance. It has no resident doctor. Doctors are there from 9 a.m. to noon
1971 - Fred Ross - Injured convicts found inside Kingston Penitentiary after 500 convicts ended their rebellion yesterday are brought out by ambulance. One inmate was found dead; and 11 were injured; apparently by prisoners; before the riot ended.
1971 – Fred Ross – Injured convicts found inside Kingston Penitentiary after 500 convicts ended their rebellion yesterday are brought out by ambulance. One inmate was found dead; and 11 were injured; apparently by prisoners; before the riot ended.
1972 - Geo, Mario - A potential client looks over the new ambulance operated by the society for animals in distress. Around-the-clock service is provided for sick or injured pets in Metro and the surrounding area for a minimum charge of 88
1972 – Geo, Mario – A potential client looks over the new ambulance operated by the society for animals in distress. Around-the-clock service is provided for sick or injured pets in Metro and the surrounding area for a minimum charge of 88
1974 - Erin, Combs - Canada - Ontario - Toronto - Metro - Ambulance Service
1974 – Erin, Combs – Canada – Ontario – Toronto – Metro – Ambulance Service
1974 - Nov 16 - St. John's Ambulance and crowd at Avenue and Bloor - Santa Claus Parade
1974 – Nov 16 – St. John’s Ambulance and crowd at Avenue and Bloor – Santa Claus Parade
1975 - July 8 - ambulance at CN Tower fire
1975 – July 8 – ambulance at CN Tower fire
1977 - Colin McConnell - Emergency patient is loaded onto a government ambulance for transport to a Toronto hospital.
1977 – Colin McConnell – Emergency patient is loaded onto a government ambulance for transport to a Toronto hospital.
1977 - Colin McConnell - new helicopter announced by Ontario Health Ministry will be used to transfer patients within 115 miles of Toronto. The helicopters will be based in Buttonville airport
1977 – Colin McConnell – new helicopter announced by Ontario Health Ministry will be used to transfer patients within 115 miles of Toronto. The helicopters will be based in Buttonville airport
1978 - Graham Bezant - Fire trucks; ambulances; police cars and other emergency vehicles litter the Etobicoke Creek valley where the stricken plane came to rest. Cause of the crash has not been determined; an Air Canada official said
1978 – Graham Bezant – Fire trucks; ambulances; police cars and other emergency vehicles litter the Etobicoke Creek valley where the stricken plane came to rest. Cause of the crash has not been determined; an Air Canada official said
1979 - Jeff Goode - Some of the more than 85 ambulances; from as far away as Kingston; wait in line yesterday to move out patients from Mississauga General Hospital.
1979 – Jeff Goode – Some of the more than 85 ambulances; from as far away as Kingston; wait in line yesterday to move out patients from Mississauga General Hospital.
1980 - Ron Bull - Ambulance driver Henry Laurin (left) and attendant Ike Campbell, who spared no horses on the Adair mercy dash, making the 90 miles from Midland to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children in 79 minutes
1980 – Ron Bull – Ambulance driver Henry Laurin (left) and attendant Ike Campbell, who spared no horses on the Adair mercy dash, making the 90 miles from Midland to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children in 79 minutes
1981 - july 8 - View of crowds and ambulance crew on King Street West during building fire
1981 – july 8 – View of crowds and ambulance crew on King Street West during building fire
1983 - Don Dutton - An ambulance bus was on hand yesterday when Metro police, after a lengthy undercover investigation, raided Dr. Henry Morgentaler's abortion clinic on Harbord St. at 11.30 a.m.
1983 – Don Dutton – An ambulance bus was on hand yesterday when Metro police, after a lengthy undercover investigation, raided Dr. Henry Morgentaler’s abortion clinic on Harbord St. at 11.30 a.m.
1985 - Don Dutton - Workers from a North York firm receive oxygen from ambulance attendants toxic gas was created when a worker mixed two chemicals; thinking them to be the same. The resulting gas infiltrated the ventilation system
1985 – Don Dutton – Workers from a North York firm receive oxygen from ambulance attendants toxic gas was created when a worker mixed two chemicals; thinking them to be the same. The resulting gas infiltrated the ventilation system
1986 - Bernard Weil - Metro paramedi and ambulance crews are front-line pros in a crisis
1986 – Bernard Weil – Metro paramedics and ambulance crews are front-line pros in a crisis
1988 - Sharon Noriss; who accompanied a premature baby being transported from Oshawa; rolls the incubator across the rooftop. Below; from left; are pilots Alex Gontier & Porus Dinshaw; paramedic Steve Deuchars & ambulance attendant Scott Andrews
1988 – Sharon Noriss; who accompanied a premature baby being transported from Oshawa; rolls the incubator across the rooftop. Below; from left; are pilots Alex Gontier & Porus Dinshaw; paramedic Steve Deuchars & ambulance attendant Scott Andrews
1989 - Ambulance workers, a nurse and a policeman wheel Sofia Cook, 23, of Brampton into Toronto General Hospital yesterday after she was shot by police.
1989 – Ambulance workers, a nurse and a policeman wheel Sofia Cook, 23, of Brampton into Toronto General Hospital yesterday after she was shot by police.
1991 - Don Dutton - Police officers and attendants take wounded officer to waiting ambulance that took him to Toronto Western Hospital last night.
1991 – Don Dutton – Police officers and attendants take wounded officer to waiting ambulance that took him to Toronto Western Hospital last night.
1993 - Keith Beaty - Fred; the cat; gets some oxygen from ambulance attendant Steve Henderson; after being rescued yesterday by Toronto firefighters at a fire at D'Arcy St. Taoist temple in Chinatown
1993 – Keith Beaty – Fred; the cat; gets some oxygen from ambulance attendant Steve Henderson; after being rescued yesterday by Toronto firefighters at a fire at D’Arcy St. Taoist temple in Chinatown
1996 - Henry Stancu - Ambulance crews load an injured man into an air ambulance yesterday at Black Creek Pioneer Village at Jane St. and Steeles Ave.
1996 – Henry Stancu – Ambulance crews load an injured man into an air ambulance yesterday at Black Creek Pioneer Village at Jane St. and Steeles Ave.

 

 

Find more images on the Toronto Archives and the Toronto Public Library Digital Archive.

 

 

 

About Joel Levy 2623 Articles
Editor-In-Chief at Toronto Guardian. Photographer and Writer for Toronto Guardian and Joel Levy Photography