Canadian Chiropractors are not alone: external advocacy in Ontario, 1902–2012

Abstract

This article focuses primarily on Ontario, identifying a number of the profession’s allies and their advocacy effectiveness, under two main headings: The Ontario Chiropractic Association; and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College during the period of 1902 to 2012. While part of our success in gaining recognition has been attributed to intense lobbying by the profession, here the public support of several labour unions is reviewed. The part played by various politicians, educators, entrepreneurs, legal counsel, academic administrators and historians is also discussed.

Introduction

There is an old joke that resonates with the chiropractic profession: “Just because I’m paranoid, you don’t have to pick on me.” Paranoia has been defined as “delusions of persecution.” Since the obscure birth of chiropractic in 1895, its persecution has been real, not imaginary and includes: internecine squabbling, occupational isolation, roadblocks to higher education, marginalization, political treachery and legislative apathy. Yet surprisingly, our members have prevailed, thanks in large part to external support from a variety of sources. This article focuses primarily on Ontario, identifying a number of our allies and their effectiveness, under two main headings: The Ontario Chiropractic Association; and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College – 1902 to 2012.

The Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA)

Labour Unions

In 1902 the first chiropractor landed in Ontario¹ and in 1925 they were included in legislation under the Drugless Practitioner Act. While part of our success in winning legal recognition has been attributed to intense lobbying by the profession, we also received public support from labour unions and the United Farmers of Ontario (UFO).² All but forgotten today, the UFO was founded in 1914 by the union of various farmers’ organizations. The UFO entered politics in 1918 and in 1919 surprised everyone by winning 45 seats and forming a minority government in Ontario, with Ernest Drury as Premier. Following its defeat in 1923, the UFO declined steadily and disappeared in 1944, when it became part of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.³ In 1937, organized labour played a key role in another significant source of legitimacy for chiropractic; acceptance under the Ontario Workmen’s Compensation Act. “However, by the early 1950s that connection had all but disappeared. In 1952 Harry Yates, DC, then President of the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA), met with A.F. MacArthur, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) to discuss the inclusion of chiropractic services in union contracts.” Yates learned that labour had little knowledge of chiropractic or what it had to offer and was advised by MacArthur to undertake a national public relations program to raise our profile within the unions. The OCA accepted MacArthur’s advice and initiated a national campaign which proved successful. “By the early 1960’s chiropractic services were covered by a number of health and accident insurance companies, mostly via union contracts.”

The OCA and Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA) realized they could directly influence roughly four million Canadians via the trade unions. In briefs to Royal Commissions on Workmen’s Compensation, in 1950 and 1970, organized labour consistently supported the provision of chiropractic services and the right of workers to choose their own practitioners. Both Royal Commissions took the demands of labour seriously, rejecting attempts by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Ontario (CPSO) and Ontario Medical Association (OMA) to remove the services of drugless practitioners from the Workmen’s Compensation Act and recommending “that the freedom to choose a practitioner was a right and not simply a privilege, and that this right should be enshrined in legislation.”⁴

The federal Liberal Party put a health care plank in its 1919 election platform but nothing came of it. During the Great Depression, the push for government assistance with health care costs gained momentum. By 1956, 50 percent of Canadians were covered by voluntary private or nonprofit prepayment plans and there was increasing demand for a universal program to protect the public from catastrophic expense.⁵ Back in 1945, Percy Bengough, President of the Trades and Labour Congress, appeared before the Committee on Social Security urging the inclusion of chiropractic services under any planned public health insurance schemes. “Similar resolutions were made by the Civil Service Federation of Canada (1962), the Professional Institute of the Public service of Canada (1964), the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Oshawa and District Labour Council (1965) and the Ontario Federation of Labour (1970).”⁶ Other pleas were made to the Royal Commission on Health Services by the British Columbia and Nova Scotia Federations of Labour.⁷

Politicians

Established in 1929, the OCA soon discovered it was necessary to lobby members of the legislature. This involved getting to know them professionally and personally by submitting briefs, keeping Members of the Provincial Parties (MPPs) up to date on a variety of issues, seeking their advice on others, inviting members to speak at OCA conventions, frequenting Parliament and hosting collegial dinners. As well, a number of members and/or their families were receiving chiropractic care.

The OCA’s efforts bore fruit. One of their converts was Murray Gaunt, a popular Liberal MPP from Huron County. Raised on a beef cattle farm near Lucknow, Gaunt was precocious and competitive. A member of the local beef club since age 12, he won the prestigious Queen’s Guineas, at the Toronto Royal Winter Fair in 1955, and graduated from the Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph, in 1956.

Following graduation, Gaunt developed a large turkey broiler operation on his father’s farm before accepting a job at CKNX, in Wingham, where he appeared on TV and radio. In 1962, when John Hanna, the local MPP for Huron-Bruce died suddenly, Gaunt was asked to fill the void. He won the Liberal nomination and the by-election that year and remained in politics until his so-called “retirement” in 1981.⁸

In 1964, Gaunt boldly charged the Minister of Health with discrimination and pressed for inclusion of chiropractic services under Medicare, raising the issue again in 1965 and 1966. Then, in 1968 and 1969 he introduced an amendment to the Ontario Medical Services Insurance Plan (OMSIP) asking the government to immediately add paramedical groups, including chiropractic. Both amendments, also supported by the New Democratic Party (NDP), were defeated.

While the majority of pro chiropractic members belonged to the Liberal party (the official opposition), there were exceptions. Alex Carruthers, was the Progressive Conservative (PC) member for Durham and served in the legislature from 1959 through 1975. In 1969, he spoke forcibly on behalf of Gaunt’s resolution, particularly as it related to chiropractic services.⁹ Carruther’s support was fortified by personal conviction. He and his family had benefited from chiropractic care for many years.¹⁰

The medical profession was vehemently opposed to chiropractic joining Medicare and its position was buttressed by the 1964 Report of the Royal Commission on Health Services and the 1963 Report of the Ontario Medical Services Commission, both of which advised against including chiropractic services within universal health programs. It was traditional in Ontario for Ministers of Health to be medical doctors and Matthew Dymond, who served in this position from 1959 to 1969, was no exception. Dr. Dymond had practiced in Port Perry, Ontario in 1942, before leaving to serve in the Canadian Army Medical Corps, for the duration of World War II.¹¹ Ironically, Port Perry was the childhood home of Daniel David Palmer, the founder of chiropractic and Dymond was destined to become “the greatest stumbling block to the inclusion of chiropractic services in Ontario’s Medicare program.”¹² Fortunately, in 1969 the Ontario government amended its legislation, enabling it to meet federal laws, and the Ontario Health Services Insurance Plan (OHSIP) was passed. This rendered Dymond’s position politically untenable, causing his resignation and replacement by Thomas Wells, the first non-medical practitioner to hold that position (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Thomas Wells.

Tom Wells was born in Toronto and educated at the University of Toronto, joining the campus PC association and playing football with William Davis. Wells was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 1963. His 1969 appointment as Minister of Health, was welcomed by the profession since he “did not need to be ‘sold’ on the merits of chiropractic care or on the fact that chiropractors should be included in OHSIP… he and his department were more concerned about the costs of chiropractic care… ”¹³ July 1, 1970, chiropractic services were included in what would become the Ontario Hospital Insurance Plan (OHIP). Robert Wingfield, DC, then President of the OCA, “was struck by Tom Wells’ concept that there should be no discrimination in the application of coverage under universal health care.” Wells felt patients deserved freedom of choice and wanted all prime contact health practitioners to become portals of entrance, unlike the British system where family medical doctors were the only point of entry. [Wingfield, interview by Brown, July 10, 2008]

In 1970 chiropractic coverage was $5 a visit up to $100 per fiscal year, plus $25 for x-rays. By 1989 we had reached maximum OHIP payments of $9.65 a visit up to $220 a year, including $40 for x-rays. October 1, 1990, Robert (Bob) Rae became the first New Democratic (NDP) premier of Ontario. In 1991 Rae passed “Social Contract” austerity legislation, imposing wage freezes, cutbacks and “Ray Days” (mandatory unpaid days off) on most professionals.

June 26, 1995, Rae and the NDP lost the provincial election and were replaced by Mike Harris and the PCs. Mean-while, by 1992 Tom Wells had retired from politics and was appointed Chair of a bipartite Chiropractic Review Committee (CRC) comprising representatives of the Ontario Ministry of Health and the OCA. Important recommendations in the CRC’s 1994 Final Report were: removing barriers to chiropractic services; accessing relative diagnostic procedures; and funding chiropractic education in universities, in the same manner as other health professions.¹⁴

In 1995 the PC government began negotiating certain CRC proposals with the OCA and in September 1997, Jim Wilson, Minister of Health under Harris, was scheduled to appear at the OCA convention to announce the improved benefits. At the last minute, Wilson cancelled his appearance. In October that year he was replaced by Elizabeth Witmer and December 1998, chiropractic services were cut by one third, to $150. There were no changes to chiropractic coverage from 1998 until 2003. October 23 that year Dalton McGuinty, leader of the Liberal party, was elected Premier of Ontario. December 1, 2004, “despite heroic efforts of the OCA and other organizations, the government… brought to an end more than 30 years of public funding for chiropractic services in Ontario.”¹⁵

Medicare was born in Saskatchewan July 1944, when its father, Tommy Douglas (as leader of what would become the NDP), was elected Premier. By 1946, everyone in his province had comprehensive hospital coverage and July 1962, thanks to federal funding under PC Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, NDP Premier Woodrow Lloyd was able to install full Medicare in Saskatchewan. December 1966, the Canadian Parliament, under Liberal Prime Minister Lester Pearson, passed federal Medicare legislation that had been completely implemented in all provinces by 1972.

When chiropractic was delisted by OHIP in 2004, it rocked the foundations of universal health care in Ontario, causing tremors that would affect our patients coast to coast.

The Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College

Educators

Since 1945, the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) has relied on “outsiders” to fulfill the College’s academic faculty requirements, particularly in the realm of basic sciences. In October, 1946, Acting Dean, Rudy Muller, DC, reported that “At the present time, we have enrolled a total of 227 students,”¹⁶ and by 1948 there were 346.

That year CMCC’s faculty consisted of five full-time “Chiropractic Professors” and four full-time “Basic Subjects Professors,” who had university degrees but no chiropractic credentials. Two of these, LH Colbeck and HB Stevens, held the rank of Major in the Canadian Armed Forces during World War II. Five part-time Chiropractic Professors and seven part-time students completed the basic sciences roster. The Clinic Director was a chiropractor and one of his Supervisors a student. A chiropractor was in charge of the Clinic x-ray staff, assisted by two students and the Laboratory was operated by a biologist, aided by two students. Muller declared this to be a far cry from “Ninety per cent of the Colleges in the United States (that) have anywhere from fifty to seventy-five per cent of their instruction given by under-graduates.”

By 1950 no students remained on staff but the benefits of interdisciplinary education had eroded. Only three of 16 faculty members had a primary degree in a discipline other than chiropractic and in 1965 there was only one. Though the College “took steps to rectify this situation,” when Allan Adams, DC, became Dean (1979–1984), he felt “that CMCC was weak in the basic sciences,” and “hired John Duckworth, MBBCh, MD,” as Professor of Anatomy (Figure 2), along with “several University of Toronto (U of T) faculty to teach basic sciences.” [Interview, Alan Adams by Joseph Keating, July 14, 1995].

Figure 2.

John Duckworth.

Dr. Duckworth began teaching at CMCC in 1979, having served as a “storied” Professor and subsequent Head of the Anatomy Department at the U of T, 1952–58. A Queen’s Physician and renowned anatomist, Duckworth “was instrumental in setting up relationships with the Chief Coroner’s Office to develop a viable body donation program.” The curriculum he established transformed “the anatomy department into a modern, fully enabled teaching entity with the tools essential to delivering first-rate anatomical instruction.”¹⁷ Dr. Duckworth has been described as a classically trained anatomist who believed the best way to learn the subject was by performing dissections. He died November 8, 1994, at age 82, still teaching at CMCC. In 1995, the College fulfilled one of John’s dreams; dedicating the JWA Duckworth Memorial Museum of Anatomy, “As a tribute to his life and service.”

The Entrepreneur

From 1959 to 1968 CMCC was embroiled in a horrendous fight with the City of Toronto over the expropriation and destruction of a major portion of the buildings on our first, one acre campus, at 252 Bloor Street West, during construction of the Bloor Street subway. The College sued the City for $1.5 million but after a nine year struggle, the case was settled for a paltry $143,000 plus interest but with no costs. By then CMCC was half a million dollars in debt. With title to the expropriated property not yet returned and a prohibition on building permits as the subway ran directly beneath the College, several parties were interested in buying the land but no one was willing to risk making a firm offer – except Gerhard Moog. Mr. Moog was a prominent land developer and a satisfied chiropractic patient, with financial and political clout (Figure 3).

Figure 3.

Gerhard Moog.

In April 1968, we traded our Bloor Street campus to Moog for two acres of land and two buildings, to be erected at 1900 Bayview Avenue. December 18, 1968, classes commenced at the new facilities totalling 54,000 square feet of space compared to 30,000 on Bloor Street. Whereas the old College had been evaluated at about $1.5 million, the new College was appraised at close to $2.5 million, but our original debt of $500,000 was now close to $1 million.¹⁸ June 5, 1971, Gerhard W. Moog received an honourary Doctor of Humanities degree, at CMCC’s convocation, in recognition of “his contributions to the College.”

Legal Counsel

John Burton was called to the Bar in 1927, and was practicing law in Vancouver, BC, when he married the daughter of Walter Sturdy in 1932. Dr. Sturdy is credited with being a driving force behind the creation of what would become the CCA, in 1943 and CMCC in 1945. Burton laboured tirelessly beside his father-in-law whom he joined as a founding director of both the CCA and CMCC. In 1943 Burton was appointed General Secretary and Solicitor for the CCA. That year he travelled 22,000 miles, and penned over 1,000 letters, organizing chiropractors across the country. In 1953 Burton helped obtain a federal charter for the CCA and succeeded in obtaining chiropractic legislation in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

“Although John’s first profession was law, his second was most certainly chiropractic. He was undoubtedly the most knowledgeable layman in matters pertaining to our profession.”¹⁹. In May 1975, two years before his retirement, John S. Burton was the second person to receive an honourary Doctor of Humanities degree, “In appreciation for many years of service to the CCA as Legal Counsel and General Secretary,” during CMCC’s convocation.

Allan Freedman is an avid academic and distinguished lawyer, who has shared his talents, energy and substance with Canadian chiropractors for 36 years (Figure 4). In September 1976, Freedman started his love affair with CMCC, teaching “risk management for chiropractors” to the 4^th year class. Rising through the ranks from Lecturer to Full Professor, he expanded and refined his courses into what became, “Health Care Jurisprudence and Practice Development.” Prof. Freedman’s innovations included a “virtual reality” project, requiring his students to formulate a detailed business plan they could implement upon graduation. His classes became standards of excellence in chiropractic education and the envy of other colleges.

Figure 4.

Allan Freedman.

Freedman believes in lifetime learning. Since 1978 he has assisted with CMCC’s Department of Continuing Education, been a keynote speaker at many College events, appearing dozens of times before provincial and national Canadian chiropractic associations, societies, regulatory boards, medical, legal and university bodies. His resumé lists more than 40 peer-reviewed documents and he has written several substantial papers not yet published.

By 1979–80, Freedman was acting as legal counsel to the College and its Board of Governors, where he remains devoted to solving the myriad judicial problems that beset CMCC on a daily basis, wise during negotiations with a variety of professional, political and government bodies and vigilant in protecting the College from harm, while enabling it to move ever forward. Freedman’s virtuosity and conflict resolution skills have benefitted other organizations with ties to CMCC such as the OCA, the CCA and its Journal, the College of Chiropractors of Ontario, the Canadian Chiropractic Protective Association and the Canadian Chiropractic Examining Board.²⁰

Dr. Allan Gotlib, Freedman’s boyhood friend, long ago “realized that Allan was filled with and fulfilled by, idealistic ambition. Over the years he has demonstrated extraordinary determination in the face of serious challenges. For his many traits but particularly for this, Allan has held my steadfast respect for over 46 years.” [Email, Gotlib to Brown, May 25, 2007]

David Chapman-Smith was introduced to chiropractic as counsel for the New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association, before the New Zealand Commission of inquiry into chiropractic, 1978–79 (Figure 5). In 1982 Chapman-Smith took a two year leave from his law partnership, moving to Toronto as a legal consultant, to assist the OCA during the development of new legislation to regulate the practice of chiropractic in Ontario.²¹ Convoluted negotiations were protracted and the Regulated Health Professions Act, containing the new Chiropractic Act, did not receive Royal Assent until 1991. “A two year process took nearly 10, however it produced a new approach to regulating the health professions that was widely admired and subsequently followed in other provinces and then internationally.”

Figure 5.

David Chapman-Smith.

Shortly after arriving in Toronto Chapman-Smith began acting as a CCA consultant, “working increasingly with CCA provincial associations on legislative issues.” Two memorable meetings were in Newfoundland, in preparation of their Chiropractic Act, which was passed in 1991. “Finally all Canadian provinces had law to regulate chiropractic practice.”

In 1987–88 Chapman-Smith began publishing his newsletter, The Chiropractic Report (TCR) every two months. These unique research summaries quickly gained popularity. CMCC’s library and faculty were a major resource for Chapman-Smith. In gratitude, he made annual donations to the library in the 1990s and still supplies copies of TRC for faculty and students. David Chapman-Smith was instrumental in the formation of the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) in 1988 and has served as its Secretary-General since its first Executive Meeting in Toronto, in 1989. The WFC’s first Congress was held at the Royal York Hotel, Toronto, in May 1991. “These years brought the beginning of a long and close partnership between the WFC and CMCC, which continues to this day. In terms of quality and quantity, no chiropractic educational institution has provided more original research for WFC Congresses and educational sessions.” [DCS interview by Brown, March 24, 2012]

Administration

Ian Coulter arrived at CMCC in 1981, as President Sutherland’s Executive Vice-President (Figure 6). Although Dr. Coulter’s PhD was in sociology, he had acquired intimate knowledge of the Canadian profession and the College from his two year stint as project director of a major federally funded study of chiropractic, conducted at the U of T.²² In 1983 Sutherland retired and was replaced by Coulter, our first non-chiropractic President. Coulter had already identified and corrected serious difficulties with CMCC’s central administration, financial office and clinics and initiated profound alterations to the College’s various divisions and its Board of Governors. These changes facilitated our achievement of accredited status with the Council on Chiropractic Education (Canada), in 1986.²³ Most of the faculty and students admired Coulter. “He was protective of academic integrity… his writings remain valuable … he firmly believed in the College… he trusted his personnel and promoted leadership,” were among their comments. Dedicated to research and scholarship, Coulter’s mission was to make our profession more influential within the health care system, by preparing CMCC for university affiliation.²⁴

Figure 6.

Ian Coulter.

In 1984 Coulter reactivated our University Affairs Committee and started contacting institutions in Ontario. Getting no response, in 1988 he accepted an invitation to approach the University of Victoria (UVic), BC. “Ian poured his heart and soul into this process, even moving his family to Victoria for one summer.” Ultimately the push to unite with UVic, which began with high hopes, fizzled out, through circumstances beyond Ian’s control.

In 1991 Coulter left Canada, accepting positions with the Southern California University of Health Sciences, the RAND Corporation, the University of California and the Samueli Foundation, where he was awarded the RAND/Samueli Chair in Integrative Medicine, in 2008.²⁵ Dr. Coulter’s successor, Dr. Jean Moss, writes that at the time of his presidency, “He was one of my first and best role models… CMCC needed someone to establish guidelines for the operation of the institution and its relations to surrounding organizations… Ian made us proud, instilling a drive to succeed… and a desire to accept nothing but excellence. Much of CMCC’s subsequent development had its roots during Ian’s presidency.” [Unpublished article by Jean Moss, June 1, 2005]

CMCC Public Board Members

Oswald Hall had been widely recognized as Canada’s senior, pioneer sociologist long before he became a proponent of chiropractic (Figure 7).²⁶ Dr. Hall’s office at the U of T was directly across the road from our Bloor Street campus in 1956 but it wasn’t until 1973 that his influence emerged as Chair of the “Task Force on Education and Practice of Chiropractors” for the Ontario Council of Health. Hall was instrumental in guiding the Committee to make positive recommendations regarding our education and practice. In outlining a scope of practice, the committee assumed chiropractic was a prime contact health profession. Its objectives included maintaining CMCC as a distinctive, identifiable institution, funded as part of the public educational system and, if possible, joined to a university.²⁷ “These proposals flew in the face of a 1970 report by the Ontario Committee on the Healing Arts²⁸… which… if carried out… would have reduced us to the level of technicians, under direct supervision of the medical profession.”²⁹

Figure 7.

Oswald Hall.

From 1976 to 1978 Hall collaborated with Drs. Coulter and Merrijoy Kelner in the previously mentioned investigative study of chiropractic and author the book, “Chiropractors, Do they Help?” Coulter found working with Hall “stimulating and educational” He was curious about people and able “to use sociological concepts to illuminate the findings… I recall how gentle and patient Oswald was with me when I was learning to write.” [Email Coulter to Brown, June 4, 2003]

Dr. Hall’s most arduous initiative began when he became a Public Member of the CMCC Board (1982–1998). “His stamina and affability were tested during his 16 year tenure on the University Committee as the College endured protracted, failed attempts to unite with the University of Victoria, BC (1988–92) and York University, Toronto, ON (1995–2001).”³⁰

In March 2001, after seven years of harmonious negotiations, York University abruptly changed its mind and cancelled all future deliberations regarding affiliation with CMCC. The Faculty Council of Atkinson College voted against the affiliation proposal and that left no other open avenues. Following that shock, we discovered that the CNIB had severed 12 acres of its land and was preparing to restructure its remaining property. This included razing the I.V. Weir Building we were renting to house our library and administrative offices. The College was rapidly running out of space and time and would have to move quickly. But where and how?

In 2000, Allan Freedman persuaded one of his associates, Leonard Goodman, to let his name stand for the appointment as a public member to the CMCC Board of Governors by informing him, with his ”usual sincerity,” that he would only have to attend two meetings a year (Figure 8). Mr. Goodman is an accomplished businessman and the Chief Executive Officer of the First Financial Group of Companies. Contrary to what he had been told, shortly after joining the Board Goodman found himself attending more than two meetings a week, as a member of its Executive Committee, Chair of the Development and Planned Giving Committee, the Corporate Division of the Capital Campaign, and the Construction and Finance Committee.

Figure 8.

Leonard Goodman.

Easter weekend of April 2001, Goodman’s broad influence in the corporate world made the College serious contenders to acquire property at 6100 Leslie Street, Toronto. From then on, Len Goodman, Allan Freedman and Jean Moss worked in concert for three strenuous years, to bring the concept of a substantially improved and enlarged facility for CMCC, from inception to fruition. Of course there were many players involved in the purchase and development of our new campus but without Len, it simply would not have happened. Len had the vision to see the potential for this real estate, the contacts to allow us to become the buyers and the expertise, energy and zeal to carry this complicated project through to completion.

Construction included renovation of 115,000 square feet of existing facilities plus the addition of another 35,000 square feet to the front of the building. Despite myriad problems and 500 change orders, the project was finished on time and within budget. An undertaking which normally takes 18 to 24 months, reached substantial completion in less than one tumultuous year. With three perfectionists, Len, Allan and Jean Moss at the helm, the “Miracle on Leslie Street” became an institution of which every chiropractor can be proud.

As though the efforts of Mr. Goodman in the establishment of the new campus were not enough, his business acumen became integral to the disposition of the property on Bayview Avenue. CMCC owned two acres of land but the parking lot belonged to the original developer. For the purposes of marketing its portion, CMCC had received an indication of its value. By the end of negotiations, Goodman had obtained a sale price which far exceeded what was anticipated. Freedman is convinced that, “Without Mr. Goodman’s involvement, CMCC would never have concluded the acquisition and sale of these properties at the price which was ultimately achieved.” The College has paid tribute to Leonard Goodman, making him an Honourary Member of CMCC and installing a plaque on the wall as you enter the building, acknowledging Len Goodman as Chair of the Development Committee, along with his committee members, Jean Moss, Brenda Smith (Figure 9), Ron Robinson (Figure 10), Henry Graupner and Allan Freedman. Robinson, Smith and Graupner are three more non-chiropractors who willingly gave their all, to the development of a chiropractic edifice which is the envy of other educational institutions.

Figure 9.

Brenda Smith .

Figure 10.

Ron Robinson.

In addition to spending huge amounts of time supervising the development and construction of the Leslie Street campus and the disposition of the Bayview campus, Len is responsible for the success of the Corporate Division of the Capital Campaign, which added substantially to the College coffers. Len Goodman and his wife Alma lead by example, demonstrating their devotion to CMCC through generous personal donations to the Campaign and maintaining their production of innovative and entertaining fund raising events.³¹

Historians

Lesley Biggs states, that “the survival and ultimate acceptance of chiropractic into the health care system can only be explained by the balance of class forces; i.e. chiropractic has received strong support from working-class organizations (Figure 11).”32 Dr. Biggs’ thesis has provided this treatise with ample evidence to bolster her claim. She chose chiropractic for her PhD dissertation at the U of T because Kelner, Hall and Coulter were in her department “and had just finished the first major study of chiropractic in Canada, so there was a lot of interest in the subject.” In 1982, when Coulter was Acting President of CMCC, he gave Biggs “unlimited access to the College and its resources.” [Email, Biggs to Brown, Feb 2, 2012]

Figure 11.

Lesley Biggs.

Biggs is now (2012) an Associate Professor in the Department of History and Acting Head, Women’s and Gender Studies, at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S). Her main areas of interest lie in the history and sociology of the professions with a particular focus on complementary and alternative healers such as midwives and chiropractors. In 2009 Dr. Biggs received the U of S “Master Teacher Award” and is described on their website as, “An award-winning researcher in alternative medicine, and a skilled and generous administrator… Always looking for creative ways to communicate complex ideas, Biggs revises her curricula and teaching methods as she learns more from classroom experiences… Her enthusiasm for the communication of knowledge, makes her the kind of teacher students remember gratefully, long after they have left the university.”

Joseph Keating modestly described himself as a researcher, faculty member, administrator and historian (Figure 12). Colleagues and former students remain awed by his superior intellect, prodigious publications and mentoring skills. Dr. Keating received his PhD from the University of New York in 1981 and quickly developed a fascination for chiropractic. In the mid 1980s he foraged into Canada, submitting dozens of articles to the JCCA. His documentation of chiropractic history is legendary. In Canada, he unearthed our origins in Saskatchewan and Ontario and wrote definitive biographical studies of prominent chiropractors. And he had related interests: The development of practice standards; scientific substantiation of clinical procedures; improving the intellectual environment within the profession; and clarification of our philosophy.

Figure 12.

Joseph Keating.

Keating had a strong affinity for CMCC which he praised as “one of the two or three most important chiropractic schools, of its long-term commitment to scholarship and high academic standards… Schools such as CMCC are reaching a level of sophistication in science and scholarship that was just unimaginable two decades ago.”

Despite a hectic schedule, Keating always made time for the College. In February 1995, our Centennial Year, Keating spent nine days at CMCC: scouring the Library and Archives; presenting a seminar on “DD Palmer’s Forgotten Theories;” participating in a technique workshop; lecturing the students in all four years; and travelling to Port Perry to play the part of DD Palmer in the College’s 50^th anniversary video. President Jean Moss recalls Dr. Keating “as someone from outside chiropractic who approached the subject from research and historical perspectives, providing important insights and meaningful input… He will be missed for his encyclopaedic knowledge and sense of humour.”³³

CMCC Update

September 18, 2004, our magnificent new College on Leslie Street opened on time, thanks to the tireless efforts of dozens of people who were inspired by the brilliant leadership of Jean Moss, Len Goodman and Allan Freedman. That glorious day, throngs of enthusiastic people from all walks of life were captivated by this remarkable expression of architectural and engineering ingenuity. One of the visiting dignitaries was Dr. Paul Carey, founding President of the Canadian Chiropractic Protective Association (CCPA) and a Council Member of the World Federation of Chiropractic. In 1996 the CCPA had pledged $3 million to CMCC’s capital campaign, which was one of the largest single grants ever made to a chiropractic college. On that occasion Dr. Carey declared: “With this grant, chiropractors are investing in themselves and taking leadership for their own future.” At the grand opening in 2004 Paul was asked if he was proud of the CCPA’s contribution. “There is no question. Yes, I was doubly surprised and pleased with CMCC’s new facilities. They are worthy of an institution teaching at the university level and certainly rival anything I’ve seen in my travels to chiropractic colleges around the world. The Library in particular is outstanding. It was money well invested.”³⁴

Since the auspicious opening, CMCC has enjoyed numerous other firsts. Some are listed below:

• 2005 – CMCC became the first private health sciences institution to be awarded degree granting privileges by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities; the College launched a pilot project with the Department of Family and Community Medicine, at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital; and Dr. Moss completed her two year term as President of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC).

• 2006 – CMCC completed the process, started in 1999, of implementing an integrated curriculum with a modular approach, allowing students to focus on specific regions of the body and providing an in-depth exploration of biological systems to ensure a comprehensive understanding of how chiropractic care benefits patients. The program combines lectures and labs with team-based learning and practice-based case studies, enhancing problem-solving and clinical skills. This year, 98% of CMCC graduates passed the written and 96% passed the clinical skills CCEB exams on the first attempt.

• 2007 – In June, 150 Doctors of Chiropractic, from every Canadian province and several European countries, crossed the stage at Convocation. Seventy-seven percent of these graduates entered year one with undergraduate degrees and half of them chose CMCC because of a chiropractor’s influence. During their internship, these students assumed patient care under the direct supervision of 20 highly trained clinicians, delivering 61,000 patient visits at eight community based clinics. CMCC is increasingly recognized as a valued government partner, participating in the public policy debate surrounding health care and education. In 2007 the College made a presentation to the provincial Standing Committee on Finance during their pre-budget consultations.

• 2008 – By now, CMCC’s mortgage had been reduced by one-third since moving to Leslie Street in 2004; re-branding of the College had taken place; and the first collective agreement with CUPE Local 4773, had been ratified. In 2008 CMCC hosted its first Research Symposium, inviting speakers from Harvard University, the Mayo Clinic and the University of Vermont to discuss the latest developments in their areas of expertise. At Convocation the College conferred its first degrees under the authority of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the second annual Student Satisfaction Survey revealed a 13 percent increase in overall student satisfaction.

• 2009 – The College began implementing an integrated software system; and received two Canadian Government capital funding grants, under the Knowledge and Infrastructure Program (KIP). CMCC initiated a Research Chair in Mechanobiology, to study spinal instability, degeneration and subluxation; the Library formed the first archival database devoted solely to the history of chiropractic; and Dr. Moss received the inaugural Award for Excellence in Women’s Leadership, from the WFC.

• 2010 – In February, CMCC faculty and alumni were among the first chiropractors to become part of the Olympic Host Medical Services team within the polyclinics at the Vancouver Olympics. During the year, simulation labs were created containing: A computerized force-sensing table to measure the depth, direction and speed of an adjustment; a new Clinical Diagnostic Simulation Lab utilizing four Gaumard manikins; a new Treatment Development Lab, and a Biomechanics Lab with a GAITRite system for studying gait patterns.

• 2011 – In March, CMCC was the first privately funded school to receive continued permission to grant Doctor of Chiropractic degrees for an unprecedented 10 years, by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. In April, CMCC research efforts earned accolades at the ACC-RAC (Research Agenda Conference) in Las Vegas, and again at the WFC Congress, in Rio de Janiero, in April. The same month, CMCC’s Library became the first private institute to win membership in the Health Science Information Consortium of Toronto, increasing our voice within the academic and scientific communities.

• 2012 – January 11, St. Michael’s Hospital (SMH), opened its new clinical facilities and CMCC’s role (inaugurated in 2004), was expanded within the SMH’s Academic Family Health Team. February 1, CMCC’s President, Dr. Jean Moss, and Dr. Tim McTiernan, President of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) signed an articulation agreement between the two organizations, enabling qualified students to complete an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and a Doctor of Science degree in seven years instead of eight.

In March 2004, Dr. Gerry Clum, then President of Life Chiropractic College West, visited our Leslie Street site, while it was in the transformative stage and predicted that, “CMCC’s new campus is the most exciting thing that has occurred in the Canadian chiropractic profession since the first college opened in 1945. It will establish CMCC as the preeminent chiropractic college in the world for years to come.” So far, Dr. Clum’s prophesies have been on the mark.