Building our health organizations and systems Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy

To achieve positive health outcomes in our communities we rely on active promotion of healthy lifestyles, avoidance of disease, injury and infections, and protection and empowerment the vulnerable and empowering the disadvantaged.

 

Nurse with Patient Walking Rehabilitation

Public Health, Health Promotion & Advocacy

  1. 1869

    At the age of 26, Dr. Montizambert became medical superintendent at Grosse Île

  2. 1883

    Robert Koch discovered the cholera bacillus

  3. 1899

    Dr. Montizambert was tasked with establishing the Department of Agriculture’s first section devoted to public health

  4. 1900

  5. 1910

  6. 1920

  7. 1921

    Insulin was discovered

  8. 1924

    Connaught Laboratories began testing diphtheria toxoid

  9. 1927

    The University of Toronto created its School of Hygiene

  10. 1930

  11. 1932

    Elizabeth Bagshaw founded Canada’s first birth control clinic

  12. 1940

  13. 1941

    Brock Chisholm became the Canadian Army’s Director of Personnel Selection and introduced mental health as a component of recruitment and management

  14. 1949

    Recognizing a need for improved access to rehabilitation services, Dr. Gustave Gingras founded and directed the Rehabilitation Institute of Montreal

  15. 1950

  16. 1950s

    Already an icon in the field of physical therapy, Dr. Gingras became a Canadian hero during the polio epidemic

  17. 1960

  18. 1961

    Exploring National Health Insurance

  19. 1963

    Gingras responded to another Canadian tragedy: thalidomide

  20. 1968

    National Medicare was introduced

  21. 1969

    The Birth Control Clinic became legal

  22. 1969-1970s

    Vitamin D is added to bottled milk across Quebec

  23. 1970

  24. 1974

    The National Food Distribution Centre for the Treatment of Metabolic Diseases is created

  25. 1975

    Palliative Care in Canada

  26. 1975

    Dr. Mount persuaded the leadership of the Royal Victoria Hospital and McGill University to open the first comprehensive palliative care service at the Royal Victoria Hospital

  27. 1977

    Dr. Philip Berger began documenting torture sequelae in refugee claimants

  28. 1978

    Elaine Carty receives Health Canada funding to explore the development of a midwife-led, out of hospital birth centre

  29. 1980

  30. April 12, 1980

    Marathon of Hope

  31. 1983

    Heart transplants successfully resumed at the MHI in 1983

  32. 1985

    Dr. Hankins is appointed to Canada’s National Advisory Committee on AIDS

  33. 1985

    Dr. Mount published the Royal Victoria Hospital Manual on Palliative and Hospice Care

  34. 1986

    The Centre for Agricultural Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan was founded

  35. 1987

    As a response to the growing AIDS crisis, Dr. Chrétien chaired a commission on AIDS that resulted in a broad set of health and social recommendations

  36. 1987

    In response to the stigma around AIDS, Philip Berger founded the Toronto HIV Primary Care Physicians Group and established the HIV Project Centre Primary Care Mentor Program to educate doctors and…

  37. 1988

    The Agriculture Health and Safety Network began as a joint venture between the Centre for Agricultural Medicine, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and six Saskatchewan rural…

  38. 1989

    Despite increased international commitments, Dr. Macklem never wavered in his support for Canadian medicine and research

  39. 1990

  40. 1990

    Dr. Herbert is a founding member of UBC Institute of Health Promotion Research

  41. Later years

    Fraser Mustard devoted his time and energy to early childhood development

  42. 1991

    Noralou Roos becomes the Founding Director of the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy

  43. 1992 - 1994

    Co-developed Guidelines for Participatory Action Research in Health Promotion

  44. 1992

    Dr. Naylor was named the inaugural chief executive of the renowned Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES)

  45. 1992

    Dr. Tator founded ThinkFirst Canada

  46. 1993

    Dr. Mount played an integral role in the development of the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians

  47. 1993

    James Dosman became the founding Chair of the Canadian Coalition for Health and Safety in Agriculture

  48. 1995

    The Ottawa Health Decision Center was founded by Annette O'Connor and her team

  49. 1998

    BC legislated midwifery as part of the health care system

  50. 1998

    Helps formalize and officially establish the Native Physicians Association of Canada.

  51. 1999

    Under the leadership of Dr. Mount, the McGill Program in Whole Person Care began this year

  52. 2000

  53. 2000

    Demonstrating her leadership on an international scale, Dr. O’Connor co-led the Oxford Forum on Shared Decision Making

  54. 2000

    Dr. Wainberg established the Journal of the International AIDS Society

  55. 2000

    When the Canadian Institutes of Health Research was formed in 2000, they chose health policy leader Dr. David Naylor as their inaugural governor

  56. 2001

    Dr. Annette O’Connor and her team established the first open access international inventory of patient decision aids and decision guides.

  57. 2002-2011

    Became the first Chief Scientific Adviser to UNAIDS (The United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS)

  58. 2002

    The Canadian Brain and Nerve Health Coalition was established

  59. 2003

    Creation of the Public Health Agency of Canada

  60. 2006

    Dr. O’Connor founded and co-led the Inaugural International Patient Decision Aids Standards Collaboration

  61. 2007

    Agrivita Canada Inc. was formed through the leadership of Dr. Dosman

  62. 2010

  63. 2011

    Dr. James Dosman led the International Labour Organization’s effort to design an international safety code

  64. 2011

    Initiated by Dr. Jacalyn Duffin, the Canada Drug Shortage website was launched

  65. 2012

    Philip Berger co-founded Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care, coordinating nationwide protests by physicians against cuts to refugee health

  66. 2013 - 2016

    Noralou Roos co-authors several e-books on health policy in Canada

  67. 2015

    Nora Lou Roos founds 'GetYourBenefits!' effort in Manitoba

  68. 2016

    Noni MacDonald launched MicroResearch Nova Scotia using skills learned from the earlier program developed in Africa

  69. 2020

About the CMHF

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) celebrates Canadian heroes whose work advances health in Canada and the world, fostering future generations of health professionals through the delivery of local and national youth education programs and awards.

This enduring tribute to our country’s rich medical history is showcased here and in our physical exhibit hall in London, ON