Government of Canada Establishes the Federal Department of Health

1919. Prior to 1919, the federal Department of Agriculture was responsible for federal health matters. In 1919, the government of Canada created the Department of Health. Dr. John Amyot served as the first federal minister of health in 1919 (Creating a Federal Health Department, 2010). In 1993, this department was renamed to Health Canada (Dicken, 2006; Government of Canada, n.d.).

The Department was first proposed by An Act Respecting the Department of Health, which suggested that the Government of Canada was responsible for "all matters and questions relating to the promotion of the health and social welfare of the people of Canada" (Canada, House of Commons Debates, Hansard[March 29, 1919, p.843] as cited in Creating a Federal Health Department, 2010). Pressure for a Health Department had been building in Canada from the National Council of Women, the Trades and Labour Congress, and Canadian farmer (Creating a Federal Health Department, 2010). The department was largely focused on public health (Dicken, 2006), which was influenced by the eugenics movement.

At the time, there were high mortality rates amongst mothers and infants, issues of poverty, industrial accidents, and trauma from survivors of World War I (Creating a Federal Health Department, 2010). There was also increased awareness of issues related to sexually transmitted diseases, which may cause sterility or affect children, and "feeble-mindedness" (Dicken, 2006). The new department was meant to collect information on these issues, and support provinces in creating programs and their own health departments, to help constituents (Creating a Federal Health Department, 2010).

The department also helped create standards for foods and drugs, and campaigns to promote child welfare and education on child care. The department also invested in helping campaigns against venereal disease (as well as fund a number of clinics addressing venereal disease across the country), tuberculosis, and "feeblemindedness", although the latter two were mostly addressed by provincial governments and organizations (Dicken, 2006).

-Colette Leung and Erna Kurbegovic

Government of Canada Establishes the Federal Department of Health

1919. Prior to 1919, the federal Department of Agriculture was responsible for federal health matters. In 1919, the government of Canada created the Department of Health. Dr. John Amyot served as the first federal minister of health in 1919 (Creating a Federal Health Department, 2010). In 1993, this department was renamed to Health Canada (Dicken, 2006; Government of Canada, n.d.).

The Department was first proposed by An Act Respecting the Department of Health, which suggested that the Government of Canada was responsible for "all matters and questions relating to the promotion of the health and social welfare of the people of Canada" (Canada, House of Commons Debates, Hansard[March 29, 1919, p.843] as cited in Creating a Federal Health Department, 2010). Pressure for a Health Department had been building in Canada from the National Council of Women, the Trades and Labour Congress, and Canadian farmer (Creating a Federal Health Department, 2010). The department was largely focused on public health (Dicken, 2006), which was influenced by the eugenics movement.

At the time, there were high mortality rates amongst mothers and infants, issues of poverty, industrial accidents, and trauma from survivors of World War I (Creating a Federal Health Department, 2010). There was also increased awareness of issues related to sexually transmitted diseases, which may cause sterility or affect children, and "feeble-mindedness" (Dicken, 2006). The new department was meant to collect information on these issues, and support provinces in creating programs and their own health departments, to help constituents (Creating a Federal Health Department, 2010).

The department also helped create standards for foods and drugs, and campaigns to promote child welfare and education on child care. The department also invested in helping campaigns against venereal disease (as well as fund a number of clinics addressing venereal disease across the country), tuberculosis, and "feeblemindedness", although the latter two were mostly addressed by provincial governments and organizations (Dicken, 2006).

-Colette Leung and Erna Kurbegovic