St. John Ambulance in Canada celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1983, with many events marking the occasion. The organization traces its history back to the First Aid Class held in 1883.
The National Centennial Weekend took place June 3-5, 1983, which included a Royal Visit by HRH Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Grand Prior of the Order of St. John. During his visit, the Duke viewed the National First Aid and Home Health Care Competition and presided over Federal District’s St. John Ambulance Brigade parade.1
One of the events included a visit by Mrs. Ruth Parks, the matron of the St. John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem. The Hospital at that time consisted of 82 beds, treating approximately 35,000 patients, and conducting about 4,000 operations annually.2 25 Cadet Divisions across the country raised $7,000 for the hospital.
The St. John Ambulance Overseas conference was held in Toronto the same month, June 13-17, marking the first time the conference was held outside of the United Kingdom.
At that time, St. John Ambulance had 608 Divisions in Canada.3 Throughout the year, the organization consisted of 14,500 uniformed volunteers; 10,000-12,000 non-uniformed volunteers; 13,000 certified instructors; and 270 permanent staff members.4 In 1982, the St. John Ambulance Training Association provided first aid training to approximately 350,000 people and Home Health Care training to 3,500 Canadians. That same year, 1.8 million hours of volunteer duties were performed, including treating over 200,000 injured or sick people.
A long-time member of St. John Ambulance, Colonel Strome Galloway, completed an updated edition of G.W.L. Nicholson’s The White Cross in Canada, published as a centennial year project. That same year, Canada Post released a standard rate postage stamp to commemorate the centennial, which was unveiled by the Duke of Gloucester.5
Ontario Premier William G. Davis declared June 13-19 as St. John Ambulance Week in Ontario. Ontario Place observed June 16 as St. John Day (Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day occurs on June 24).
There were several other ways the centennial was marked across Canada;
Dr. James Gayfer of Winnipeg composed The St. John Ambulance March to mark the centennial. The piece was first performed by the Air Command6 Band of the Canadian Forces.
To celebrate the centennial, the Alberta Council dressed a knight in full armour on a black horse escorted by a Serving Brother of the Order to tour different locations across Alberta to raise awareness about the organization.7
Boissevain, Manitoba, ran a special turtle derby to mark the occasion, with each Council and Priory sponsoring a turtle.
The Vancouver Branch produced what they called Ready Teddy’s as a fundraiser. Each bear came with a poem:
I am the Centennial Bear
And here are some facts to
make you aware
That I am living proof of
Ceaseless devotion
From the Atlantic Sea
To the Pacific Ocean
Of one hundred years of
St John action
Looking after the sick at
Numberless functions,
Also teaching others the why
and the wherefore
Of Breathing and Bleeding and
How one can “care for”
So, why don’t you buy me-
I’m ready to love you, to
Listen, to simile,
Ill share in your laughter
And wipe up your tears-
In fact, I’ll be ready-
For I’m the St. John’s
“Ready Teddy”
From coast to coast, events were held to highlight the work done by St. John Ambulance in Canada in the last hundred years and overseas by Canadians wearing the White Cross serving during wartime. The members’ effort has shown that St. John Ambulance was ready for another hundred years in Canada.
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1 St. John News, Official Publication of St. John Ambulance in Canada, 1982, 2.
2 St. John News, 5.
3 Christopher McCreery, The Maple Leaf and the White Cross: A History of St. John Ambulance and the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in Canada (Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2008), p. 150.
4 St. John News, 3.
5 McCreery, 150.
6 The organization that was previously and is currently known as the Royal Canadian Air Force.
7 St. John News, 4.
