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Tommy Douglas, Canada's father of medicare
Broadcast Date: July 22, 1962
On June 15, 1944, with Canadian troops engaged in the opening stages of the battle to free Europe from the Nazis, a landslide election victory gives Saskatchewan's Co-operative Commonwealth Federation the green light to proceed with radical social justice initiatives like publicly funded health care for all. Led by T.C. (Tommy) Douglas, a Baptist minister turned politician, the CCF's slogan is "Humanity First," a comment on the party's belief that the common good should supersede private interests.Tommy Douglas, Canada's father of medicare
• Tommy Douglas was born in Falkirk, Scotland, on Oct. 20, 1904, and immigrated to Canada with his parents after the First World War. Douglas excelled in many areas of interest, including drama, debating and boxing, in which he was a flyweight champion.• While Douglas is widely regarded as the father of medicare, Matt Anderson initiated the first health care program in the municipality of McKillop, Sask. Anderson's plan, which was later passed as the "Matt Anderson Bill" in 1939, allowed for access to a municipal doctor, 21 days of hospital care, and prescription drugs for an annual fee of five dollars.
Tommy Douglas, Canada's father of medicare
Medium: Television
Program: Close-Up
Broadcast Date: July 22, 1962
Guest(s):
Interviewer: Tom Koch
Duration: 1:13
Last updated:
Nov. 27, 2006
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A burden removed or a Communist plot? A 1949 radio dramatization examines popular opinions for and against a national health scheme for Canadians.
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Tommy Douglas, Canada's father of medicare.
The CBC Digital Archives Website.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Last updated: Nov. 27, 2006.
[Page consulted on Feb. 23, 2012.]