Throughout 2017, we have marked the 40th year of continuous publication of the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine (JSCM), which started its journey as a small quarterly newsletter, and has evolved to an internationally known journal serving the global SCI community. It is fitting that we conclude the year with this special issue for the 7th National Spinal Cord Injury Conference held November 9–11, 2017 in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Our Canadian colleagues timed this conference to coincide with two important commemorations – November 11, which is Remembrance Day, the day Canadian set aside each year to honor their fallen heroes, and 2017, which marks the 150th anniversary celebration of the Canadian Federation. The issue's theme, “Military Medicine and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation: A Novel Intersection”, highlights the roots of modern spinal cord medicine, which grew from the need to provide the best possible care for veterans living with spinal cord injury. JSCM shares these roots, having been founded in 1977 by physicians in the US striving to meet the needs of veterans recovering from spinal cord injuries in VA hospitals.
We are pleased to have JSCM play a small role in this historical conference. We encourage our readers to explore this issue to learn more about the contributions of Canadian professionals to the advances in research and rehabilitative care for individuals with SCI.