Remembrance Day

In photos: U of T marks Remembrance Day 2024 across its three campuses

davidlee — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 19:00:22 +0000

In photos: U of T marks Remembrance Day 2024 across its three campuses

davidlee Mon, 11/11/2024 - 14:00

Cutline

A soldier salutes in front of wreaths lain beneath the arches of Soldiers' Tower during Remembrance Day ceremonies at U of T's St. George campus (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Adam Elliott Segal

Topic

Our Community

Soldiers' Tower

President Meric Gertler

Remembrance Day

Heads were bowed across the University of Toronto's three campuses on Nov. 11 as the U of T community recognized Remembrance Day.

At the St. George campus, the sound of the carillon’s bells rang out from atop Soldiers' Tower into the crisp autumn air in memory of soldiers and veterans, including those who served and fell in the First and Second World Wars as well as other conflicts.

The ceremony also honoured the 100th anniversary of Soldiers’ Tower, as well as the centennial of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), with Lt.-Col. Peter MacLaurin, chair of the Soldiers’ Tower Committee and Lt.-Col. David Letellier de St-Just both speaking in front of an audience that numbered in the hundreds.

The service, which was attended by students, alumni, faculty, staff, local and federal government representatives and veterans, honoured Canada’s war efforts through poems, historical vignettes and an account of the dedication of Soldiers’ Tower on June 5th, 1924.

Wreaths were placed under the three arches by dignitaries who included U of T President Meric Gertler; Trevor Young, vice-president and provost; Anna Kennedy, chair of U of T's Governing Council; and Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s deputy prime minister and minister of finance.

A plaque commemorating the anniversary of Soldiers' Tower was presented by Corwin Cambray, president of the U of T Alumni Association.

A gun salute at nearby Queen’s Park echoed loudly into the air as “O Canada” was sung by the hundreds of attendees. A public reception at the Great Hall in Hart House concluded the ceremony. The Tower’s Memorial Room remained open to the public until 4 p.m.

U of T Scarborough commemorates Remembrance Day in the Meeting Place

Over at the U of T Scarborough campus, Remembrance Day service was held in the Meeting Place to honour those who served in the First and Second World Wars, as well as other conflicts. 

The ceremony was attended by Linda Johnston, U of T Scarborough principal and U of T vice-president, Karin Ruhlandt, vice-principal academic and dean, and featured performances by the UTSC concert band, concert choir and string orchestra. 

Top left: Members of the U of T Scarborough’s string orchestra perform. Top right: Principal Linda Johnston speaks to guests. Bottom: The UTSC concert band and choir perform during 2024 Remembrance Day ceremonies (photos by Don Campbell)

Trumpeter Michael Barth played the "Last Post" while community representatives laid wreaths on behalf of faculty, staff, students, alumni and the Scarborough community.

U of T Mississauga honours the fallen

U of T Mississauga’s Remembrance Day ceremony took place in front of the Davis Building, where Alexandra Gillespie, U of T Mississauga principal and U of T vice-president, Philip Anyang, vice-president, equity at the U of T Mississauga Students’ Union, and Richard Waters, representative of USW Local 1998, were present to lay wreaths to honour the fallen.

Top left: Philip Anyang, UTMSU VP Equity, Alexandra Gillespie, U of T Mississauga principal and U of T vice-president, and Richard Waters, USW representative, lay wreaths to honour the fallen. Top right: Ruben Sidhu, U of T special constable, lowers the flag. Bottom: Attendees mark Remembrance Day in U of T Mississauga's David Building (photos by Nick Iwanyshyn)

U of T St. George marks Remembrance Day, centenary of Soldiers' Tower

Soldiers' Tower was erected in 1924 and funded by the University of Toronto Alumni Association (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Piper Rory Sinclair leads distinguished guests through the memorial arch of Soldiers' Tower (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Chrystia Freeland, Canada's deputy prime minister and minister of finance, speaks with Peter MacLaurin, chair of the Soldiers’ Tower Committee (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Members of the Royal Canadian Air Force salute during the playing of “Last Post” by trumpeter Andrew Mendis (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Members of the Hart House Chorus perform during the placing of wreaths (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Rev. Richard Ruggle addresses attendees outside Hart House (photo by Johnny Guatto)

L-R: U of T President Meric Gertler, Corwin Cambray, president of the U of T Alumni Association, Anna Kennedy, chair of U of T's Governing Council and Daniel Hendrickson, past chair of the Soldiers’ Tower Committee, preside over the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the centenary of Soldiers’ Tower (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Cadets stand at attention (photo by Johnny Guatto)

U of T experts solve mystery of century-old flower mailed by First World War soldier

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 15:48:39 +0000

U of T experts solve mystery of century-old flower mailed by First World War soldier

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 11/08/2024 - 10:48

Cutline

The letter and flower, mailed by Harold Wrong to his brother in 1916, were donated to the University of Toronto Archives in the 1960s (courtesy U of T Libraries)

Topic

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

U of T Libraries

Subheadline

The flower was pressed inside a letter sent by U of T graduate Harold Wrong a day before the Battle of the Somme

Harold Wrong was a First World War soldier who sent one last letter to his brother Murray on June 30, 1916. It contained a single pressed flower and one line: "All well with me."

The next day marked the Battle of the Somme and Wrong, who had graduated from University College just three years earlier, was never seen alive again.

The letter and flower were donated to the University of Toronto Archives and the identity of the flower has been a mystery – until now.

Using new and emerging technologies and working with botanists and scholars beyond the university, U of T librarians, archivists and researchers from U of T Mississauga’s Old Books, New Science lab have solved the mystery of the 108-year-old Somme flower.

“In academia, we’re always curious and we always want to know things,” says Loryl MacDonald, associate chief librarian for special collections and director of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. “And to think that a pressed flower like that is 108 years old and survived that long! The fact that the family had preserved the flower for so long is very touching.”

To those who ask why the type of flower matters, Jessica Lockhart, head of research at the Old Books New Science lab says, “Well, if you know the flower, you know more about Harold. You understand why he found it beautiful and why he wanted to share it.

“And that’s an important detail that tells us so much more about his final message.”

Read the complete story of the Somme Flower at U of T Libraries

U of T to mark Remembrance Day across its three campuses

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 21:45:25 +0000

U of T to mark Remembrance Day across its three campuses

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 11/06/2024 - 16:45

Cutline

(photo by Laura Pedersen)

Topic

Subheadline

A ceremony on the St. George campus will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Soldiers’ Tower

The University of Toronto will mark Remembrance Day across its three campuses on Nov. 11 – including a ceremony on the St. George campus that will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Soldiers’ Tower.

The 44-metre tower, which houses a 51-bell carillon, was erected beside Hart House in 1924 to honour soldiers and members of the U of T community who fell in the First World War.

The monument was later expanded to include the names of 1,185 people who fell during either the First or Second World Wars, while the annual Service of Remembrance that takes place at its base honours those who served in both the Great Wars as well as other conflicts.

“The most important aspect of this day is drawing the community together,” says Peter MacLaurin, chair of the Soldier’s Tower committee and a retired lieutenant-colonel in the Canadian Army.

Beginning at 10:25 a.m., the St. George campus service will include carillon recitals before and after the ceremony – and will be followed by a free public reception in the Great Hall of Hart House. The Memorial Room in Soldiers’ Tower will be open until 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, at U of T Scarborough, the community will honour alumni, students, faculty and staff who fell in the First and Second World Wars, as well as other conflicts. The in-person ceremony begins at 10:45 a.m. at The Meeting Place, Science Wing, and features the UTSC Concert Band, Concert Choir & String Orchestra.

At U of T Mississauga, an in-person ceremony will take place at 10:45 a.m. in front of the Davis Building, near the flagpole. The UTM Indigenous Centre is also hosting a poppy-beading workshop on Nov. 8.

Flags on all three campuses will be flown at half-mast on Nov. 11.

Soldiers’ Tower

The 44-metre tower, erected beside Hart House in 1924, houses a 51-bell carillon (photo by Laura Pedersen)

Between 1923 and 1924, the University of Toronto Alumni Association raised $397,141 to build a war memorial and establish scholarships to honour community members who served in the Great War – the equivalent of more than $7 million in today’s currency.

The tower’s carillon is played by three different carillonists, who use their hands and feet to play a keyboard that sounds the bells during spring and fall convocations and other special ceremonies, including on Remembrance Day.

The ranks, names and units of those lost to the university in the First World War are etched in stone on the memorial screen. Other features of the monument include the memorial arch and the Garden of Remembrance.

In the Staircase of Honour, stained-glass windows depict men and women who contributed to the war effort.

Portraits of several illustrious graduates are on display in the tower. They include: Lt.-Col. John McCrae, who wrote In Flanders Fields; Maj. Thain MacDowell, who earned the Victoria Cross in the battle of Vimy Ridge, the only member of U of T to receive the honour in the Great War; Maj. Fred Tilston, awarded the Victoria Cross for his efforts in Hochwald Forest (Germany), 1945; and the co-discoverers of insulin, Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best. Both men served in the Canadian Army in the First World War.

U of T marks Remembrance Day 2023 across its three campuses

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 17:09:13 +0000

U of T marks Remembrance Day 2023 across its three campuses

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 11/10/2023 - 12:09

Cutline

Members of the U of T community gathered at Soldiers’ Tower on the St. George campus for a Service of Remembrance ahead of Nov. 11 (photo by Polina Teif)

Topic

Remembrance Day services were held across the University of Toronto’s three campuses on Friday – one day ahead of Nov. 11 – to honour those who served and fell in the First and Second World Wars, as well as other conflicts.

On the St. George campus, members of the U of T community gathered at Soldiers’ Tower for a service that began with the playing of the tower’s 51-bell carillon. It was followed by an Indigenous land acknowledgement by Rev. Richard Ruggle and words of welcome by Daniel Hendrickson, chair of the Soldiers’ Tower committee.

The event included a performance of the Naval Hymn, a historical reading, a memorial day prayer by Imam Abdul Hai Patel, a reading of In Flanders Fields – written by U of T alumnus Lt.-Col. John McCrae – and a reflection by Rabbi Jonathan Jaffit.

U of T President Meric Gertler, Chancellor Rose Patten and Chair of Governing Council Anna Kennedy joined Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, and other representatives from government, the Canadian Armed Forces, U of T alumni, students, staff and faculty in laying wreaths in honour of the fallen in the archway of Soldiers’ Tower.

A moment of silence was observed after the placing of the wreaths.

At U of T Mississauga, a ceremony was held in front of the Davis Building with Alexandra Gillespie, U of T Mississauga principal and U of T vice-president, in attendance.

The service at U of T Scarborough was held in the Meeting Place. It was attended by Wisdom Tettey, U of T Scarborough principal and U of T vice-president, and featured performances by the concert band, concert choir and string orchestra.

Here is how the Remembrance Day services were captured through the lenses of photographers at U of T:

(photo by Polina Teif)

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces attended the Service of Remembrance on the St. George campus.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Chancellor Rose Patten, Vice-Chair of Governing Council Anna Kennedy and U of T President Meric Gertler attended the Remembrance Day ceremony on the St. George campus. The ceremony was also attended by Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s deputy prime minister and finance minister (second row).

(photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Members of the university community joined Alexandra Gillespie, U of T Mississauga principal and U of T vice-president (second from right), in placing wreaths during a Service of Remembrance in front of the Davis Building.

(photo by Polina Teif)

The Hart House choir performed near Soldiers’ Tower on the St. George campus.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Wreaths were laid near Soldiers’ Tower by representatives of U of T, government, the Canadian Armed Forces and other members of the university community.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Piper Rory Sinclair performed following the wreath laying near Soldiers’ Tower on the St. George campus.

(photo by Don Campbell)

Wisdom Tettey, U of T Scarborough principal and U of T vice-president, delivered remarks at the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Meeting Place at U of T Scarborough.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Capt. Angela Lam of the 25 Field Ambulance medical unit of the Canadian Armed Forces delivered a historical reading about a U of T alumnus who perished in the Italian campaign during the Second World War.

(photo by Polina Teif)

Cpl. Steven Abra played the Reveille near the end of the ceremony on the St. George campus.

U of T to mark Remembrance Day 2023 across its three campuses

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 19:56:04 +0000

U of T to mark Remembrance Day 2023 across its three campuses

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 11/07/2023 - 14:56

Cutline

(photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Each year, the University of Toronto community gathers to mark Remembrance Day with services to pay tribute to those who served and perished in the First and Second World Wars and other conflicts.

With Remembrance Day falling on a Saturday this year, U of T’s in-person ceremonies will be held across the three campuses one day earlier – Friday, Nov. 10. Flags will be flown at half-mast in honour of soldiers and veterans, including U of T students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Here’s how U of T’s campuses will mark Remembrance Day 2023:

St. George

The Service of Remembrance will take place at Soldiers’ Tower at 10:20 a.m. and will include a carillon prelude and postlude.

The ceremony will include words of welcome, a recitation of the poem “In Flanders Fields” – written by John McCrae, a physician and U of T graduate who served in the First World War – and a historical reading about a U of T alumnus who perished in the Italian campaign during the Second World War. The reading will be delivered by Capt. Angela Lam of the 25 Field Ambulance medical unit of the Canadian Armed Forces.

U of T President Meric Gertler, Chancellor Rose Patten and Governing Council Chair Anna Kennedy will place wreaths at Soldiers’ Tower, as will U of T students, faculty and staff and representatives of the government and armed forces.

All members of the U of T community are welcome to attend.

U of T Scarborough

U of T Scarborough’s Remembrance Day ceremony will begin at 10:45 a.m. in the Meeting Place.

The service, which will be attended by Wisdom Tettey, U of T Scarborough principal and U of T vice-president, will feature performances by U of T Scarborough’s concert band, concert choir and string orchestra.

U of T Mississauga

Members of the U of T Mississauga community are invited to join the 2023 Service of Remembrance in front of the Davis Building, near the flagpole.

Alexandra Gillespie, U of T Mississauga principal and U of T vice-president, will attend the ceremony, which will commence at 10:45 a.m.

U of T marks Remembrance Day across its three campuses

mattimar — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 18:17:12 +0000

U of T marks Remembrance Day across its three campuses

mattimar Fri, 11/11/2022 - 13:17

Cutline

Wreaths were laid on Remembrance Day in the archway of Soldiers’ Tower on the St. George campus (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Community members gathered on the University of Toronto’s three campuses Friday to honour those who served and fell in the First and Second World Wars, as well as other conflicts.

On the St. George campus, hundreds of people attended a cermony at Soldiers’ Tower, which included a playing of the tower’s 51-bell carillon, while hundreds more watched via livestream on U of T’s YouTube channel.

Following an Indigenous land acknowledgment, words of welcome and a performance of the Naval Hymn, Capt. Roland Llewellyn-Thomas, a member of The Queen’s Own Rifles and the Soldiers’ Tower committee, recited In Flanders Fields, which was written by U of T alumnus Lt.-Col. John McCrae.

U of T President Meric Gertler, Chancellor Rose Patten and Vice-Chair of Governing Council Anna Kennedy joined Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, and other representatives from government, the Canadian Armed Forces, U of T alumni, students and faculty in laying wreaths in honour of the fallen in the archway of Soldiers’ Tower.

A moment of silence was observed in remembrance of the fallen after the placing of the wreaths.

At U of T Scarborough, the the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Meeting Place, attended by U of T vice-president and Principal of U of T Scarborough Wisdom Tettey, included a performance by the string orchestra, concert choir and concert band.

U of T Mississauga held a ceremony at the front of the William G. Davis Building that was attended by U of T vice-president and Principal of U of T Mississauga Alexandra Gillespie.

Here is Remembrance Day 2022 captured through the lenses of photographers at U of T:

(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Hundreds watched as Rev. Richard Ruggle spoke at the podium near Soldiers’ Tower on the St. George campus

(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Rev. Andrew Wesley, who sits on the council of Aboriginal Initiatives Elders’ Circle at U of T, read the story of the Cree of Hunters of James Bay.

(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Attendees at the ceremony on the St. George campus display their poppies and medals.

(Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Maëlis Barre, president of the U of T Mississauga Students’ Union, lays a wreath in front of the William G. Davis Building. She was joined by Alexandra Gillespie, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga, and Richard Waters, treasurer at USW Local 1998.

(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

U of T President Meric Gertler carries a wreath at Soldiers’ Tower. He is joined by Anna Kennedy, vice-chair of Governing Council, and U of T Chancellor Rose Patten (at rear, in uniform).

(Photo by Sean Liliani)

Wisdom Tettey, U of T vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, delivers remarks at the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Meeting Place at U of T Scarborough.

(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s deputy prime minister and finance minister, attended the Remembrance Day ceremony on the St. George campus.

(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

The Hart House Chorus performs near Soldiers’ Tower on the St. George campus.

(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Sophia Franc played the Reveille near the end of the ceremony on the St. George campus.

U of T to mark Remembrance Day 2022 across its three campuses

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 19:51:41 +0000

U of T to mark Remembrance Day 2022 across its three campuses

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 11/04/2022 - 15:51

Cutline

(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

The University of Toronto community will mark Remembrance Day with services across its three campuses in honour of soldiers and veterans, including those who served and fell in the First and Second World Wars, as well as other conflicts.

In-person ceremonies will be held on Nov. 11 and all flags will be flown at half-mast at U of T.

Here is how each campus plans to mark Remembrance Day 2022:

St. George

The Service of Remembrance on the St. George campus will take place at Soldiers’ Tower at 10:20 a.m. Students, staff, faculty and librarians are invited to join the service in person or register to watch the livestream.

The service will include a carillon prelude and postlude, words of welcome, a recital of “In Flanders Fields” – a poem written by John McCrae, a Canadian officer, surgeon and U of T graduate – and a reading by Rev. Andrew Wesley, a former Elder-in-Residence at First Nations House who sits on the Council of Aboriginal Initiatives Elders’ Circle.

U of T President Meric Gertler, Chancellor Rose Patten and Anna Kennedy, vice-chair of the governing council, will attend the ceremony and place wreaths at Soldiers’ Tower. Representatives from the government, the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as U of T alumni, faculty and students, will also lay wreaths.

U of T Scarborough

U of T Scarborough’s string orchestra, concert choir and concert band will perform at the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Meeting Place.

The official ceremony begins at 10:45 a.m. with Wisdom Tettey, U of T Scarborough principal and U of T vice-president, delivering a land acknowledgement and remarks.

U of T Mississauga

The Remembrance Day ceremony at U of T Mississauga will start at 10:40 a.m. in front of the William G. Davis Building (near the flag pole).

Alexandra Gillespie, U of T Mississauga principal and U of T vice-president, will speak and lay a wreath during the ceremony.

The program also includes a flag lowering and raising, as well as a reading of “In Flanders Fields” by a representative of ECSpeRT, a team of student volunteers with advanced medical first responder training.

In photos: U of T marks Remembrance Day with virtual ceremonies

mattimar — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 18:22:17 +0000

In photos: U of T marks Remembrance Day with virtual ceremonies

mattimar Thu, 11/11/2021 - 13:22

Cutline

A veteran pays his respects during a Remembrance Day ceremony that was livestreamed to the public from Hart House on U of T's St. George campus (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

Undergraduate Students

The University of Toronto marked Remembrance Day with virtual events that honoured those who served and fell in the First and Second World Wars, as well as other conflicts.

A physically distanced Service of Remembrance on the St. George campus was filmed at Hart House and was livestreamed to the public. Normally held at Soldiers’ Tower, this year’s ceremony was moved due to construction of the Landmark revitalization project on the St. George campus.

After the words of welcome, Faculty of Music alumna Nila Rajagopal recited In Flanders Fields, which was written by alumnus Lt.-Col. John McCrae.

U of T President Meric Gertler, Chancellor Rose Patten, Governing Council Chair Brian D. Lawson and Acting Vice-President and Provost Trevor Young joined representatives of U of T alumni, students and faculty in laying wreaths in honour of the fallen.

Wisdom Tettey, vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, joined the ceremony at the St. George Campus to lay a wreath. While there was no ceremony at U of T Scarborough this year because of indoor gathering restrictions, a wreath display at the Meeting Place is open for community members to pay their respects.

More wreaths were laid on behalf of government representatives, the student union, the Canadian Armed Forces and others. A virtual wreath display followed on behalf of the university’s colleges, faculties, departments and programs.

Before the moment of silence in memory of those who died or suffered in wars and armed conflicts, Rev. Richard Ruggle remarked: “The silence has become the defining moment in our service. It can speak when words fail.”

At U of T Mississauga, a livestream ceremony featured opening remarks by Vice-President and Principal Alexandra Gillespie. The virtual service also included a reading of In Flanders Fields, laying of wreaths, a performance of Last Post and a moment of silence.

This marked the second year where the in-person service was altered to follow COVID-19 public health guidelines. At the St. George campus, those participating in the virtual service wore masks and remained physically distanced. The hymns and anthems were pre-recorded.

Here’s how U of T marked Remembrance Day in 2021:

U of T President Meric Gertler and Chancellor Rose Patten at the Remembrance Day ceremony on the St. George campus (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces lay a wreath at the ceremony that was livestreamed from Hart House (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Alexandra Gillespie, vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga, took part in a virtual Remembrance Day ceremony that was streamed online (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Wisdom Tettey, vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, participated in the virtual ceremony livestreamed from Hart House (photo by Johnny Guatto)

A wreath display in honour of the fallen at U of T Scarborough (photo courtesy of U of T Scarborough)

Normally held at Soldiers’ Tower, this year’s Remembrance Day ceremony was livestreamed from the Hart House quadrangle due to construction (photo by Johnny Guatto)

A virtual Remembrance Day ceremony was filmed at the Hart House quadrangle on the St. George campus while maintaining physical distancing protocols (photo by Johnny Guatto)

'A distinctly Canadian legacy': Frederick Banting helped pioneer aviation medicine during the Second World War

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 14:28:45 +0000

'A distinctly Canadian legacy': Frederick Banting helped pioneer aviation medicine during the Second World War

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 11/11/2021 - 09:28

Cutline

Left: Flight deck, ink and pencil on tracing paper, by Hubert Reginald Rogers. Right: Frederick Banting, oil on board, by Tibor Polya.

Jim Oldfield

Topic

Our Community

Temerty Faculty of Medicine

Doctor and researcher. Inventor and Nobel laureate. Painter and war hero.

Frederick Banting is widely recognized for achievements in many fields – including, famously, the discovery of insulin with colleagues at the University of Toronto and partner hospitals a century ago.

His contributions in the First World War are also well-known – as a physician on the front lines and at the Battle of Canal du Nord, where he was injured by shrapnel yet kept working and ultimately received the Military Cross.

But often overlooked are Banting’s efforts before and during the Second World War on medical aspects of aviation. Planes had reached new levels of altitude and speed, creating harsh conditions for aircrews and health problems such as low oxygen and G-force induced blackout.

Banting used his national influence to restart and grow research on this vital aspect of the war. His efforts helped establish the field of aviation medicine in Canada and built the foundation for advances in Canadian aerospace medicine that continue today.

Frederick Banting in 1941 (University of Toronto Archives)

“Banting was absolutely instrumental to aviation medicine in Canada,” says Jordan Bimm, a post-doctoral researcher and instructor at the University of Chicago who studies the history of science, technology and medicine with a focus on human aspects of space exploration.

“The field would not have developed without him – at least not in the same way, largely because he was such a powerful medical celebrity. He got things done that others could not.”

In 1938, Banting, as a veteran, saw the threat of war was again real, says Bimm, who completed his undergraduate degree in history at U of T. He was persuaded to focus on aviation research by Maj. A.A. James of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, who had been arguing for Canada to urgently invest in this field – as Germany had done for years.

Banting in turn lobbied for federal support and his efforts led to creation of the Associate Committee on Aviation Medical Research of the National Research Council in 1939. Banting chaired the committee, which funded aviation research and equipment across the country in universities and military units.

When war came in fall 1939, Canada already had the nucleus of a multi-disciplinary aviation medical research team with equipment available or in construction, according to Chester Stewart, a professor and later dean of medicine at Dalhousie University who had worked with Banting to document the state of medical research and training in Canada.

“Some of this equipment was of totally new design and permitted investigation of problems hitherto almost untouched,” Stewart later wrote for the journal Public Affairs in a seminal article that details the committee’s impact on Canadian aviation research during the war.

A combined cold room and low-pressure chamber at the Canadian military’s No. 1 clinical investigation unit, on the grounds of the former Eglinton Hunt Club on Avenue Road in Toronto, became the first on the continent to replicate conditions for the study of high-altitude illnesses.

A human centrifuge in Toronto

Researchers from U of T used the unit to design the first oxygen mask that did not freeze at low temperatures. Additional work by U of T physicists led to the discovery of dry oxygen that further improved mask design, and an oxygen demand valve that automated oxygen intake based on the individual needs of aircrew.

British and U.S. researchers also used the unit and other Canadian facilities, according to Stewart, who wrote that medical aviation scientists in this country were ahead of their American counterparts in some areas even before the war began, and published prolifically throughout the conflict.

Toronto’s No. 1 unit also became home to the first human centrifuge in any country outside Germany. This large and expensive machine replicated the human effects of gravitational force at high speeds, which included blurred vision and blackouts.

Wilbur Franks, professor in the Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, poses with the Franks Flying Suit – the worlds first G-suit, which allowed Allied fighter pilots to remain conscious when executing sharp turns at high speeds (Jack Marshall Photography/University of Toronto Archives)

Wilbur Franks, a U of T alumnus and cancer researcher working under Banting, used the centrifuge to develop one of the world’s first anti-gravity suits. The Franks Flying Suit, made of fluid-filled rubber, saw combat action over North Africa as early as 1942 and informed later designs of U.S. aviation and aerospace suits.

More advances came from the work in Toronto and by other Canadian teams, including non-fogging, wide-vision goggles, methods to detect carbon monoxide, better communications equipment and noise-reduction helmets.

Some historians have questioned the value of this output and wondered if Banting’s unparalleled power to direct research funding was always in the best interest of science. But most agree the work was significant, and that it created a lasting interest in aviation medicine in Canada.

“Unlike insulin, the individual discoveries matter less than the slow, incremental story about an influx of attention and focus for a niche field, which has left a distinctly Canadian legacy in aviation and aerospace medicine,” says Bimm. “That’s Banting’s real contribution here.”

The equipment and research teams that Banting helped set up produced advances after the war, though at reduced speed. Canada became the third nation in space in 1962 with the launch of the Alouette-1 satellite, and later made advances on the vestibular system and balance during space flight, and a type of motion sickness called space adaptation syndrome.

David Saint-Jacques on a spacewalk (photo courtesy of CSA and NASA)

A disproportionately large number of Canadian astronauts have come from medical or health-science backgrounds, relative to other countries – another example of aviation medicine’s lasting influence, Bimm says. They include Roberta Bondar, David Williams, Robert Thirsk, David Saint-Jacques and Ken Money.

The military No. 1 unit on Avenue Road evolved and in 1994 moved to Downsview, which remains an important centre for research on technology and human performance through Defence Research and Development Canada.

Joan Saary is an occupational medicine specialist and associate professor in U of T’s department of medicine, who is also a consultant physician and flight surgeon working with the Canadian Forces Environmental Medicine Establishment and the Canadian Space Agency.

She says Canada is uniquely positioned to play a role in aerospace medicine through medical and other technological expertise. She plans to help build that potential with a new fellowship program at U of T, which will offer interdisciplinary and experiential training in aerospace medicine.

“Unlike traditional medical training programs, fellows will participate in unique experiences such as flight school to understand the aviation environment,” says Saary. “We have a cadre of experts in this country who can teach and mentor another generation to solve the health challenges of space travel, which is increasingly a civilian activity.”

Training and research in aerospace medicine often centres on enabling health and safety in extreme environments, and here Canada has an edge due to geography. “Canada is an interesting analogue for space,” says Saary. “In space environments there are issues of distance, delayed communications and an inability to evacuate in harsh, remote conditions, which are similar concerns in the Canadian North.”

Technologies developed to mitigate risk in aerospace environments can also be applied to terrestrial medicine, says Saary, who began her Canadian Forces work with divers. Recent examples include satellite tracking of COVID-19 and other pandemics, clinical use of miniature cameras initially designed for space and cardiac monitors now used in intensive care.

A key goal of the fellowship program is to prepare graduates who can foster knowledge exchange and contribute in academic, military and civilian organizations.

“Canada has quietly changed the world through aviation and aerospace medicine innovations for decades,” Saary says. “I think we can do a lot more of that.”

U of T to mark Remembrance Day with virtual ceremonies

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 20:19:13 +0000

U of T to mark Remembrance Day with virtual ceremonies

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 11/09/2021 - 15:19

Cutline

(Photo by Johnny Guatto)

Topic

John Kenneth Macalister, a University College graduate in law, was a Rhodes Scholar studying at the University of Oxford when the Second World War broke out.

He turned down a job offer at the University of New Brunswick to serve in the Canadian infantry. Assigned to British intelligence, he parachuted behind enemy lines with Frank Pickersgill, a fellow U of T graduate.

Both were captured and killed at Buchenwald concentration camp.

Macalister and Pickersgill are among the 557 U of T students, staff and alumni who died between 1939 to 1945. Another 628 people with ties to U of T gave their lives during the First World War.

On Nov. 11, U of T will be marking Remembrance Day in honour of soldiers and veterans, including the students, faculty, alumni and staff who died in the world wars and other conflicts.

The ceremony on the St. George campus – normally held outside Soldiers’ Tower, which stands as a memorial to those who lost their lives in combat – is being held remotely this year due to limits on gathering sizes and construction in the area.

Here is how each campus plans to mark Remembrance Day:

St. George

A live-streamed Remembrance Day ceremony is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. this Thursday with a carillon prelude by carillonneur Roy Lee. Although it is not possible to attend in person, everyone is welcome to participate virtually.

Words of welcome will be followed by a recital of “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae, a Canadian officer, surgeon and U of T graduate in medicine who died of meningitis and pneumonia while on active duty in 1918.

U of T President Meric Gertler, Chancellor Rose Patten and U of T Scarborough Vice-President and Principal Wisdom Tettey will lay wreaths, though the event will not be open to the public.

The university leaders will be joined by representatives from government, the Canadian Armed Forces and U of T alumni, as well as Hart House Warden John Monahan and U of T Students’ Union President Alexa Ballis.

U of T Mississauga

Vice-President and Principal Alexandra Gillespie is expected to open an online Remembrance Day ceremony streamed live on Microsoft Teams beginning at 10:45 a.m..

There will be a reading of “In Flanders Fields,” followed by a laying of wreaths, performance of “Last Post” and a moment of silence.

U of T Scarborough

U of T Scarborough is not holding a ceremony this year due to indoor gathering restrictions.

Instead, community members are encouraged to join Tettey, vice-president and principal of U of T Scarborough, at the St. George virtual ceremony.

There will, however, be a wreath display at the Meeting Place on Nov. 11 for community members to pay their respects.