Volunteers banded together to create first hospital in Kingston-Toronto corridorTuesday marked Belleville General Hospital’s 140 th birthday, and to celebrate, staff paid tribute to some of the people who have supported local health care throughout those years. Article contentHarriet Lyon Jacques saw a need for local care and formed the Women’s Christian Association, or WCA. Backed by the councils of Belleville and Hastings County and the public, the association raised the funds to build the area’s first hospital. The total bill for the hospital and the adjoining Home for the Aged was $12,274 – which, at the time, was a major investment by many local donors. Today, the greatly-expanded hospital provides many more forms of care, including regional programs and diagnostic services.