Founder of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research

In 1975, when natural resources revenues provided the Province of Alberta with a substantial surplus, Premier Lougheed had the foresight to envision a Heritage Foundation for the future support and development of the potential talent and capacity of young Albertans. Focussing on basic medical research as the prime area to be supported, he consulted with the Deans of the province's two medical schools, and in 1977, created a Health Research Task Force.

In October 1979 an act was introduced to the Alberta Legislature to establish the Alberta Heritage Foundation in Medical Research which was to be administered at arms-length from the provincial government by an independent Board of Directors. In the succeeding twenty years, this fund has supported medical scientists in Alberta with grants annually totalling $35 - $40 million dollars.

Mr Lougheed was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1986.

Seeing an Idea Through to Fruition

The idea of starting a research foundation seems very simple especially when there is a pool of money to spend or invest. But conducting the vast research needed to determine how the foundation would be structured and how exactly it would work over the long-term was a labour intensive, time-consuming process. To persuade an entire provincial government to consent to the idea, to wait long enough for the huge investment to pay off, to continue to build support and invest in the idea and to keep subsequent governments and elected officials at arms-length was no small feat.

It was Mr. Lougheed's leadership and vision that brought the idea to fruition and created a strong research foundation recognized the world over. Every province in Canada (except PEI) modelled the idea in creating their own foundations for medical research. Plus, the number of medical research publications coming from Canada has risen dramatically. Canada is now 7th in the world in authoring research articles.

(source: R. Lampard, M.D., The Origin of One of Alberta's Best Kept Medical Secrets: the AHFMR December 15, 2000)