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The history of the Canadian Forces Medical Service (CFMS) coincides greatly with the history of Canada in general. Upon the establishment of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, development of its Militia and associated medical services became a top priority.

In these early stages, the Canadian Militia medical services had no central organization. As a result each regiment recruited its own medical practitioners, often in the form of a unit surgeon or medical officer.

As Canada’s involvement in ‘Imperial defence’ increased, so too did the need for well-trained and organized medical personnel. The involvement of Canadian militia units in the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 and the overseas Boer War from 1899-1902 led to the creation of the Canadian Army Medical Corps (CAMC) in July 1904 to provide a unified command.

Two years later, in 1906, Colonel Eugene Fiset became Surgeon General and organized the fledgling CAMC into field-deployable units. That year, under General Order Number 5, 4 Field Ambulance was created on paper to oversee the militia medical services in Northwestern Ontario and the surrounding region.

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Dr. G. Brown - Medical Officer for the Lake Superior Regiment
1914
Port Arthur, Ontario


Credits:
Thunder Bay Military Museum and History Society