Government of Canada recognizes Peter Henderson Bryce as a person of national historic significance

Peter Henderson Bryce played a leading role in the development of standards and codes for public health practices across Canada.

GATINEAU, QC, Oct. 17, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of Peter Henderson Bryce (1853–1932) as a person of national historic significance under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration. 

Dr. Peter Henderson Bryce, 1920 © Topley Studio / Library and Archives Canada / PA-042966 (CNW Group/Parks Canada (HQ))

Born in 1853 in what is now Prince Edward County, Ontario, Bryce obtained four university degrees between 1876 and 1886 at the University of Toronto, studying groundbreaking innovations in bacteriology and becoming a medical doctor. Dr. Bryce entered the public service in 1882 as Secretary for the Board of Public Health of Ontario, where he led vital work to advance public health practices, such as implementing protocols for inspecting sanitary conditions and coordinating efforts to control the spread of infectious diseases. 

Appointed Chief Medical Officer for the departments of the Interior and of Indian Affairs in 1904, Dr. Bryce helped guide immigration policy by using medical surveys to assess the health of recent immigrants. He also co-wrote legislation that transformed the relationship and responsibility that the Canadian government had with its residents regarding health. At Indian Affairs, Bryce persistently called attention to the fatal consequences of tuberculosis in Indian Residential Schools, advocacy that was largely ignored by his superiors.

The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and Parks Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada's past and present.

Quotes

"Today's designation recognizes the courage of Peter Henderson Bryce who chose to speak truth to power in bringing to light the harmful conditions faced by Indigenous students inside the Indian Residential School system. Designations commemorate all aspects of Canada's history, both positive and negative. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster better understanding and open discussions on the histories, cultures, and realities of Canada's history." 
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

"Dr. Bryce's legacy awakens Canadians to the many Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples who raised the alarm throughout the history of residential schools. As Saturday Night Magazine (November 23, 1907) wrote of Bryce's report:

[t]he protests of medical officers buried in blue books and the complaints of missionaries lost in pigeonholes – unless public opinion takes the question up and forces it to the front. Then Parliament will show a quick interest, pigeonholes will give forth their dusty contents, medical officers will have a wealth of suggestions, and the scandalous procession of Indian children to the school and on to the cemetery may possibly be stopped.

Our best outcome in honouring Dr. Bryce is to force to the front the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action and the Missing and Murdered Women and Girls Calls to Justice. Those involved in residential schools knew better, and too great of a number did not do better. We can change that today - if we learn from the past."

Dr. Cindy Blackstock
Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society

"The descendants of Peter Henderson Bryce thank the Government of Canada for designating him a national historic person. He was an early and courageous advocate on health and social issues."

Andy Bryce, great-grandson of Peter Henderson Bryce, on behalf of the Bryce family

Quick Facts

• Peter Henderson Bryce played a leading role in the advancement and application of medical knowledge on germ theory and preventing the spread of communicable diseases as Secretary of the Board of Public Health for Ontario (1882–1904) and as Chief Medical Officer in both the departments of the Interior (1904–1921) and of Indian Affairs (1904–1914).
• While in his role as Secretary for the Board of Public Health of Ontario, Dr. Bryce co-wrote the 1884 Ontario Public Health Act, innovative legislation that influenced regulatory health codes in the country.
• Dr. Bryce's appointment as Chief Medical Officer for the departments of the Interior and of Indian Affairs coincided with a national policy to increase immigration to the country's northwestern territories and new-forming provinces. Bryce was responsible for ensuring that new immigrants met early 20th-century Canadian standards for good health.
• The designation process under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,260 designations have been made nationwide. To nominate a person, place or historic event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/proposer-nominate.
• Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national significance of persons, places, and events that have marked Canada's history. Together with Parks Canada, the Board ensures that subjects of national historic significance are recognized under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration and that these important stories are shared with Canadians.
• Parks Canada is committed to working with Canadians in our efforts to tell broader, more inclusive stories in the places that it manages. In support of this goal, the Framework for History and Commemoration outlines a new, comprehensive, and engaging approach to sharing Canada's history through diverse perspectives, including shedding light on tragic and difficult periods of Canada's past.

Related Document

Backgrounder: Peter Henderson Bryce

Related Links

• Parks Canada
• National Historic Designations
• Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada

SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)

Contacts: Hermine Landry, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 873-455-3714, [email protected]; Media Relations: Parks Canada, 855-862-1812, [email protected]