| 1911 |
Saskatchewan Anti-Tuberculosis League was organized on February 11, and incorporated on March 23. It was Saskatchewan’s first health charity. Peter McAra was the first President and Dr. William Hart was the first Medical Superintendent. Funds raised by voluntary subscription totalled $97,000. [Read more about tuberculosis and the history of TB.] |
| 1913 |
Construction began on the Fort Qu’Appelle Sanatorium with the aid of provincial government grants. Andrew Cook was elected League President. |
| 1914 |
Construction was suspended owing to the outbreak of World War I and resumed in 1916. |
| 1917 |
The Saskatchewan Sanatorium (later re-named “Fort Qu’Appelle Sanatorium” in 1923 but generally known as Fort San) opened October 10. By December, 60 beds were filled. Dr. R. George Ferguson was appointed as Medical Superintendent. |
| 1919 |
On October 30, the Children’s Pavilion opened; the Imperial Order of Daughters of the Empire (IODE) donated $45,000 and paid for treatment for those unable to pay. Everywoman’s Fund provided $50,000 towards cost of caring for indigent tuberculosis mothers. The Sanatorium facilities were enlarged. In March, the Red Cross Lodge was built. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales (Edward VIII) visited Fort San in October. In December, the first Valley Echo, the sanatorium newsletter, was published. (The Valley Echo continued to be published until 1965.) |
| 1921 |
The first school survey in Canada was conducted - 1346 Saskatchewan school students were tested for TB infection. The first schoolroom for children receiving treatment was opened in the sanatorium. League President Andrew B. Cook was appointed Managing Director. |
| 1923 |
The first diagnostic clinic in a general hospital was opened at Regina General Hospital. |
| 1924 |
Municipal funding pools were initiated to finance care of indigent patients. |
| 1925 |
The Saskatoon Sanatorium was opened April 15 with 135 beds and Dr. Harvey C. Boughton as the Medical Superintendent. |
| 1927 |
The Preventorium opened at Fort Qu’Appelle Sanatorium supported by IODE. Babies born of tuberculous mothers received care isolated from their mothers to prevent them from developing TB. |
| 1928 |
The first Christmas Seal Campaign in Saskatchewan was held. Bobby Roberts was appointed Secretary of the League and served until 1952. [View Christmas Seals from years past in our Christmas Seals Gallery and read about the history of Christmas Seals]. |
| 1929 |
Saskatchewan became the first jurisdiction in the Americas to provide free treatment for all TB patients. Legislation provided for treatment of all Saskatchewan residents to be covered by government grants and municipal taxes. |
| 1930 |
The Prince Albert Sanatorium opened on January 7 with Dr. Robert W. Kirkby as the Medical Superintendent. Peter McAra began a second term as League President. |
| 1931 |
Dr. RG Ferguson conducted the first scientific study of BCG vaccination of North American aboriginal babies in the world, which led to a vaccination program that substantially reduced TB deaths in infants and children. |
| 1934 |
Association Canadian Travellers (ACT) adopted TB prevention as their humanitarian effort. The ACT would eventually contribute over $2 million to the League/Lung Association. |
| 1938 |
The first program in the world for BCG vaccination of student nurses began at Fort San. Rural municipal secretary-treasurers pledged to raise funds for the Christmas Seal Fund. |
| 1939 |
In January, the First ACT Radio Amateur Hour Show at Parkside (P.A. Club & CKBI) started. Rural Municipal Secretary-Treasurers gave support to Christmas Seal Campaign and the first Pohlmann Trophy awarded for 1941-1942 Campaign. |
| 1941 |
Using innovative x-ray and photographic technology, Fort San staff designed and built a photofluorograph unit that could be used for mass surveys. The first mass x-ray survey for TB in the Americas was held at Melville. |
| 1942 |
Moose Jaw became the first city in the Americas to have chest x-rays of virtually all residents for detection of TB. |
| 1943 |
Two more survey vans were serving the province and Saskatchewan led the world in mass surveys of communities. Saskatchewan was the first jurisdiction in Canada to achieve the ideal of 3 sanatorium beds for every death in the province (270 deaths, 822 beds). |
| 1944 |
The Bill Shultz Memorial Fund, sponsored by Radio Station CHAB and with the assistance of the Moose Jaw ACT Club, contributed $83,000 to the Preventive Fund for the purchase of new x-ray survey equipment. |
| 1945 |
The Nurses Affiliation Course began. It continued to 1959 and trained 311 nurses in TB management. Fort San was further enlarged to accommodate returning ex-servicemen with tuberculosis. E. G. Hingley became League President. |
| 1948 |
Dr. R. G. Ferguson, Director of Medical Services and General Superintendent, retired and was succeeded by Dr. John Orr. Hospital admission x-rays were initiated with the co-operation of general hospitals and federal tuberculosis control grants. |
| 1952 |
Drugs became an important part of tuberculosis treatment. Field nurses began tuberculin testing and vaccinating in the far north. Frank Froh became the Secretary of the League and later his position was changed to Executive Director where he served until 1984. |
| 1954 |
Community tuberculin tests began in conjunction with community x-ray surveys. |
| 1955 |
Studies in Tuberculosis by Dr. R.G. Ferguson was published by the University of Toronto Press and quickly became an important textbook. |
| 1958 |
Dr. John Orr retired, succeeded by Dr. G. Dudley Barnett as Director of Medical Services and General Superintendent. Ken More became League President. |
| 1960 |
Steadily decreasing numbers of patients and new TB cases being found gave rise to consideration of the future of TB in Saskatchewan by a joint committee appointed by the government and the League. |
| 1961 |
The fiftieth Anniversary of the Saskatchewan Anti-Tuberculosis League was celebrated. The Prince Albert Sanatorium was closed on July 27. |
| 1966 |
The Wherrett-Grzybowski report provided long-term plans for the transition from sanatorium-based to community-based TB care and the transition of the Anti-Tuberculosis League to the Lung Association. The plan included a TB professorship at the University of Saskatchewan which 9 years later became the Ferguson Professorship in honour of Dr. R.G. Ferguson. William Howes became League President. |
| 1967 |
The League began supporting international TB programs through the CLA Mutual Assistance program. The Saskatchewan Arts Board program began at Fort San. |
| 1968 |
The government grant for TB patients was $5 per patient per day compared to the initial 50¢/day. |
| 1972 |
All TB beds at Fort San were closed in March. The school spot check tuberculin surveys began and continued to 1982. |
| 1973 |
On June 14, an Agreement for TB control services and education was signed by the League, the University of Saskatchewan and the University Hospital. The Sanatorium Act was amended expand the mandate of the League to prevention of other respiratory diseases. In October, the League became a charter member of Saskatchewan Interagency Council on Smoking & Health. |
| 1975 |
Dr. Jim Dosman, the first Ferguson Professor and the first respirologist in Saskatchewan, arrived and initiated the Pulmonary Division in the Department of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. |
| 1976 |
Dr. David Cotton was recruited to the Pulmonary Division. |
| 1977 |
The league provided funding to recruit two more respirologists, Dr.’s Donald Cockcroft and Vernon Hoeppner, to the Pulmonary Division. The League also funded a community survey of lung function in Humboldt and an International Grain Dust Symposium. J. Wilf Churchman became League President. |
| 1978 |
On June 26, the last patient was discharged from the Saskatoon Sanatorium completing 10.5 million treatment days for TB in the 3 sanatoria. This was the last year that the League received levies from rural and urban municipalities for TB care. The League began lung disease surveillance of all grain handlers in the province with lung function tests and chest x-rays, which were repeated every 3-years. The Pink Panthers Better Breathing Association was formed in Saskatoon. |
| 1979 |
The last mass community x-ray and tuberculin test surveys were conducted. The Moorhead Foundation was formed for research on asthma. |
| 1981 |
The 70th Anniversary of the League was marked by a film by Sask Media. On April 1, the League ceased to operate the Saskatoon San and administration was transferred to Frank Eliason Centre. On September 2, a second 5-year agreement with the University of Saskatchewan was signed. In December the Prince Albert Outpatient Tuberculosis Clinic at Victoria Union Hospital was closed. |
| 1982 |
In May, the Saskatoon tuberculosis outpatient clinic moved to Ellis Hall, University Hospital. |
| 1983 |
The Spring Seals campaign for lung disease research was launched in Saskatchewan and adopted by other provincial Lung Associations in the following years. |
| 1985 |
On April 1 the Tuberculosis Laboratory was transferred from Saskatoon to the University of Saskatchewan. A new Lung Association office in Saskatoon opened with Brian Graham as Executive Director. |
| 1986 |
Dr. Vern Hoeppner was appointed Director of TB Control and the Ferguson Professor. The League became a founder of the Centre for Health in Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan with a grant of $125,000 over 5 years. The 75th anniversary of the League was celebrated with a re-enactment of the ACT Amateur Hour and the production of a history book by Jean Larmour. |
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| 1987 |
On June 27, the Saskatchewan Anti-Tuberculosis League changed its official name to the Saskatchewan Lung Association. On July 31, 76 years of being responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, care and prevention of tuberculosis in Saskatchewan came to an end with the transfer of the TB Control program to Saskatchewan Health. The office at Fort San was closed and moved to Saskatoon. Dr. David Cotton was appointed Ferguson Professor. |
