Skip to main content

Starting Saturday, December 14, 2024, the entrance to the QEII Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department has changed to 1840 Bell Road. Learn more.

 

Please plan for extra travel time when coming to the QEII Halifax Infirmary. As of February 18, the easternmost, northbound lane of Robie Street will be closed for the duration of the Halifax Infirmary Expansion Project, leaving two lanes open. Expect potential delays and consider alternative routes when possible.

Eastern Memorial Hospital

Eastern Memorial Hospital is located in Canso, Nova Scotia. Just 130 kms from St. Martha's Regional Hospital, Eastern Memorial Hospital serves the health care needs of the residents of local communities in the eastern portion of Guysborough County.

Administrative Switchboard: 902-366-2794

Visiting Hours

Please note: There are currently visitor restrictions in place due to COVID-19. Please visit www.nshealth.ca/temporaryclosures for up-to-date information.

Visitors are welcome daily according to patient preference and care needs. Please check with nursing staff.

*Learn more about NSHA's Family Presence Policy, which welcomes up to two people named by the patient to be their family or primary support person/people.

Parking

Free parking.

WiFi and Internet Access

Free public WiFi.

Semi-private and Private Rooms in Nova Scotia Hospitals

  • Private room: Includes one bed and one washroom. You can find current rates here.
  • Semi-private room: Includes two beds separated by curtains and one washroom. You can find current rates here.

Space in our private and semi-private rooms is limited. The sooner we have your insurance information the more likely we are to be able to accommodate your request.

When the booking clerk calls with your hospital admission date, let them know you are interested in a private or semi-private room.

When you are admitted, be sure to have your private insurance card with you and let the admitting clerk know you have requested a private or semi-private room.TV & Phone in your Room

You can find updated information about costs associated with semi-private and private Rooms in the hospital here.

Fees and Bill Payments

You can find updated information about fees and bill payments for Canadians and out of country patients here.

TV and Phone in your Room

Phone Service

During your stay in hospital, you have the option of activating your bedside telephone service. 

How to connect, transfer or disconnect your telephone

  • Dial 499 from your bedside telephone and a BellAliant representative will arrange to have your telephone service connected, transferred to another bed, or disconnected.
  • BellAliant’s office is open Monday to Saturday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., except holidays. 
  • If you have questions about the service, please call 1-800-760-8969. 
  • When you are discharged remember to dial 499 to request that your phone be disconnected so that billing is stopped.
  • If you forget to request your hospital phone disconnected before discharged to home, call 1-800-760-8969 Monday to Saturday between 8:15 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. to arrange disconnection.

Service and Connection Rates

  • There is a $10 connection charge to set up in-hospital phone service. 
  • The following fees also apply:
    • $2 per day for the first 15 days
    • $1.25 per day for each additional day up to and including 30 days
    • $0.75 for each day after 30 days 

Billing

  • Daily service and connection charges are billed to your BellAliant home telephone account. 
  • If you are with another provider, BellAliant will create a separate account for the duration of your hospital stay. 
  • Your bill can be paid the same way you would pay any other BellAliant bill.

TV Service

Bedside TV services are available in each of the patient rooms through Bell Satellite service. The following rates apply:

  • Daily: $5
  • Weekly: $25
  • Monthly: $100
  • Palliative care patients and patients approved and awaiting long-term care receive this as a free service.

How to set up bedside TV service

  • If you wish to activate your TV, let your nursing staff know.  
  • Staff are available from Monday to Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to set up your TV service.
  • We can address any questions or concerns, receive cash payment and process your request.

Inpatients Meals

During your stay at the hospital, you will receive breakfast, lunch and supper daily. You can choose from a variety of options each day. The menus typically include: 

  • Breakfast: An assortment of homemade muffins, hot and cold cereals, yogurt and fruit, coffee or tea. 
  • Lunch: Choose from soup and sandwiches, mixed vegetables, pasta and casseroles, including dessert of fresh fruit or a sweet. 
  • Supper: Options include meat, fish, potatoes and vegetables.   

If you follow a special diet or have food-related allergies or sensitivities, let us know when you arrive. 

The procedure for ordering meals will be further discussed on admission by dietetic technicians. If you need help filling out your menu, or feel you or your family member may be unable fill out the menus daily, please talk to the dietetic technicians. 

Cafeteria and Vending Machines

Lighthouse Café, main level
Hours of operation:
Open daily: 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., noon to 1 p.m., 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Spiritual Spaces and Quiet Rooms

Requests for spiritual care can be made by patients, family member and/or any member of the inter-disciplinary health care team.  


 

Service Statuses

Disruption

Emergency Department

The emergency department at Eastern Memorial Hospital in Canso will be closed from 8am on Wed., Mar. 12 until 10pm on Mon., Mar. 31. Virtual urgent care: Mon.-Tues. from 8am-5pm; Wed.-Fri. from 8am-2pm. Canso Medical Clinic: Mar. 24 to Mar. 31, from 9am-5pm. Urgent treatment clinic: Mar. 29 & Mar. 30 from 9am-5pm. 

Diabetes Centre

Blood Collection Location

Specimen Testing Dropoff Site

Water Testing Dropoff Site

wed Mar 12 7:30 am - 8:00 am
thu Mar 13 7:30 am - 8:00 am
fri Mar 14 Closed
sat Mar 15 Closed
sun Mar 16 Closed
mon Mar 17 7:30 am - 8:00 am
tue Mar 18 7:30 am - 8:00 am

(902) 336-2794

Samples must be collected using the water testing bottles provided by NS Health. E.Coli & Coliform testing is a white top 100 ML bottle / Chemical & Mineral testing is a black top 200 ML bottle

Bacterial testing is currently not available at this location. Please drop samples to Bureau Veritas Laboratories, 465 George St, Sydney, NS (902-567-1255). Chemical testing is still available through the NSH clinical laboratories and sent to CZ Environmental Services.

Sample Bottle Pick-Up for Water Testing

Eastern Memorial Laboratory from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Emergency Care Site

wed Mar 12 12:00 am - 8:00 am
thu Mar 13 Closed
fri Mar 14 Closed
sat Mar 15 Closed
sun Mar 16 Closed
mon Mar 17 Closed
tue Mar 18 Closed

The department is on the main level of the hospital. Please go directly to the department and ring the bell. 

Virtual urgent care is available onsite Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hours are subject to change. Patient registration ends 30 minutes before closing.

To access virtual urgent care, anyone with urgent but non-life-threatening health concerns over the age of five can come to the emergency department to see the triage nurse. If you meet the criteria for virtual urgent care, a Nova Scotia Health team member will support you by providing the technology and a quiet space for your virtual appointment with a physician. 

The Canso Medical Clinic will be open Monday, Mar. 24 to Friday, Mar. 28 and Monday, Mar. 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment only with virtual appointments in the evening. Call 902-366-3233 when the clinic is open to make an appointment. 

An urgent treatment clinic will be held at the hospital on Saturday, Mar. 29 and Sunday, Mar. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by appointment only. Phone line opens at 8 a.m. both days. To make a same-day appointment, call 902-366-3268. 

If you need help immediately, call 911.

To access the mental health mobile crisis team call 902-429-8167 or toll-free at 1-888-429-8167. This is a 24 hour, seven days a week phone service to help you or your loved one cope with mental health and addiction challenges in the moment. 

Clinics, Programs and Services

Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)

Offered at 26 locations

The ECG/EKG is an abbreviation for electrocardiogram.  It is a simple and painless test that checks your heart rhythm and electrical activity.

How do I cancel/change my appointment? 

If you...

Topics

General inquiries:
Tel: 902-366-2794

A referral (requisition) from your doctor and an appointment are required for an EKG.

Patients with requisitions for EKGs can book an appointment at this location online at https://booking.nshealth.ca

Occupational Therapy

Offered at 32 locations

Occupational Therapists work at most sites within the Nova Scotia Health Authority. These therapists work in both mental health and physical medicine settings. Therapists/assistants work with inpatients and outpatients in...

wed Mar 12 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
thu Mar 13 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
fri Mar 14 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
sat Mar 15 Unavailable
sun Mar 16 Unavailable
mon Mar 17 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
tue Mar 18 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Tel: 902-366-2794x2227
Fax: 902-366-2740

Physiotherapy

Offered at 39 locations

Physiotherapy is the health care profession dedicated to enhancing and restoring your mobility through a variety of hands-on treatments, education and exercise prescription.

Physiotherapists are university-educated experts who can help...

wed Mar 12 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
thu Mar 13 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
fri Mar 14 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
sat Mar 15 Unavailable
sun Mar 16 Unavailable
mon Mar 17 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
tue Mar 18 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Contact us for more information on how to access physiotherapy at this location.

Tel: 902-366-2794x2227
Fax: 902-366-2740

Virtual Urgent Care

Offered at 15 locations

Nova Scotia Health is offering a virtual option for people coming to the hospital with urgent, non-life-threatening health issues. Virtual Urgent Care is not a replacement for the local emergency...

wed Mar 12 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
thu Mar 13 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
fri Mar 14 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
sat Mar 15 Closed
sun Mar 16 Closed
mon Mar 17 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
tue Mar 18 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

phone: 902-885-2554

Appointments are walk-in only and cannot be booked in advance. 

X-Ray

Offered at 41 locations

An x-ray takes images of internal body structures (bones and soft tissue) to help see an injury or disease. The x-ray using energy sources such as the high frequency electromagnetic...

wed Mar 12 7:30 am - 3:30 pm
thu Mar 13 7:30 am - 3:30 pm
fri Mar 14 7:30 am - 3:30 pm
sat Mar 15 Unavailable
sun Mar 16 Unavailable
mon Mar 17 7:30 am - 3:30 pm
tue Mar 18 7:30 am - 3:30 pm

A referral (requisition) from your primary care provider and an appointment are required for an x-ray.

General inquiries:
Tel: 902-366-2794

Service Statuses

Accessing Primary Care

There are many ways to access primary care, even if you're not currently attached to a primary care provider.

Answer a few quick questions to receive personalized instructions for accessing Nova Scotia Health's primary care options near you including in-person, virtual and telephone options.

Get Started

Find Emergency Care

Use this tool to identify the emergency care options that are currently available nearest to you.

If this is a medical emergency, please call 9-1-1 for immediate assistance

Get Started

YourHealthNS App

Much of Nova Scotia's healthcare program and service information is now available on the YourHealthNS mobile app. Download for free on the Apple Store and Android Apps for Google Play.

©2025 Nova Scotia Health Authority. All rights reserved.