Service on the Skeena: Horace Wrinch, Frontier Physician
His name was Horace Wrinch. It was 1880. He was fourteen years old, a farmer’s boy from England travelling on his own to Quebec. Twenty years later, a qualified doctor and newly married surgeon, he arrived in Hazelton on the Skeena River in northern British Columbia. In 1904, Horace built the first hospital in the northern interior of the province, which until his arrival had no resident doctors, no surgeons and no hospital. Over the next thirty-two years, he became widely respected as a doctor and surgeon, hospital administrator, medical missionary, Methodist minister, magistrate, farmer, community leader and progressive politician. Ever innovative, he instituted a form of health insurance for the Hazelton community as early as 1907. In the 1920s, he was a two-term president of the newly established British Columbia Hospital Association and a two-term Liberal Member of the Provincial Legislature for the Skeena riding. While in the Legislature, he championed publicly funded health insurance. Upon his death in 1939, he was called “the best known and most beloved man in Northern British Columbia.” His legacy remains in Wrinch Memorial Hospital in Hazelton. Drawn almost entirely from original and contemporaneous sources, this is the previously untold story of a remarkable British Columbian.
"1132865839"
Service on the Skeena: Horace Wrinch, Frontier Physician
His name was Horace Wrinch. It was 1880. He was fourteen years old, a farmer’s boy from England travelling on his own to Quebec. Twenty years later, a qualified doctor and newly married surgeon, he arrived in Hazelton on the Skeena River in northern British Columbia. In 1904, Horace built the first hospital in the northern interior of the province, which until his arrival had no resident doctors, no surgeons and no hospital. Over the next thirty-two years, he became widely respected as a doctor and surgeon, hospital administrator, medical missionary, Methodist minister, magistrate, farmer, community leader and progressive politician. Ever innovative, he instituted a form of health insurance for the Hazelton community as early as 1907. In the 1920s, he was a two-term president of the newly established British Columbia Hospital Association and a two-term Liberal Member of the Provincial Legislature for the Skeena riding. While in the Legislature, he championed publicly funded health insurance. Upon his death in 1939, he was called “the best known and most beloved man in Northern British Columbia.” His legacy remains in Wrinch Memorial Hospital in Hazelton. Drawn almost entirely from original and contemporaneous sources, this is the previously untold story of a remarkable British Columbian.
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Service on the Skeena: Horace Wrinch, Frontier Physician

Service on the Skeena: Horace Wrinch, Frontier Physician

by Geoff Mynett
Service on the Skeena: Horace Wrinch, Frontier Physician

Service on the Skeena: Horace Wrinch, Frontier Physician

by Geoff Mynett

eBook

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Overview

His name was Horace Wrinch. It was 1880. He was fourteen years old, a farmer’s boy from England travelling on his own to Quebec. Twenty years later, a qualified doctor and newly married surgeon, he arrived in Hazelton on the Skeena River in northern British Columbia. In 1904, Horace built the first hospital in the northern interior of the province, which until his arrival had no resident doctors, no surgeons and no hospital. Over the next thirty-two years, he became widely respected as a doctor and surgeon, hospital administrator, medical missionary, Methodist minister, magistrate, farmer, community leader and progressive politician. Ever innovative, he instituted a form of health insurance for the Hazelton community as early as 1907. In the 1920s, he was a two-term president of the newly established British Columbia Hospital Association and a two-term Liberal Member of the Provincial Legislature for the Skeena riding. While in the Legislature, he championed publicly funded health insurance. Upon his death in 1939, he was called “the best known and most beloved man in Northern British Columbia.” His legacy remains in Wrinch Memorial Hospital in Hazelton. Drawn almost entirely from original and contemporaneous sources, this is the previously untold story of a remarkable British Columbian.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781553805762
Publisher: Ronsdale Press
Publication date: 12/20/2019
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 486
File size: 17 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Geoff Mynett was born in Shropshire, England. He qualified as a barrister in England. After immigrating in 1973, he re-qualified as a barrister and solicitor in British Columbia. He practised law in Vancouver until his retirement. A passionate believer in the importance of knowing our histories, he is also an artist. He is married to Horace Wrinch’s granddaughter, Alice, and they have two sons. He and his wife live in Vancouver. Visit Geoff at www.geoffmynett.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 The Farmer's Boy: 1866-1880 5

Chapter 2 Farmer, Missionary and Medic: 1880-1900 13

Chapter 3 Up the Skeena River to Kispiox: 1900-1902 41

Chapter 4 Building Home and Hospital: 1902-1905 72

Chapter 5 New York Interlude: 1906 99

Chapter 6 Murder, Missionaries and Medicine: 1906-1908 112

Chapter 7 Community, Cars and the Coming of the Railroad: 1908-1913 142

Chapter 8 Mining, X-rays and Daylight Robbery: 1912-1914 172

Chapter 9 The War Years: 1914-1918 195

Chapter 10 Brave New World: 1918-1923 221

Chapter 11 Stepping into Politics: 1924-1928 254

Chapter 12 Health Insurance Advocate: 1928-1933 284

Chapter 13 Last Years: 1933-1939 310

Afterword 333

Author's Note 337

Appendices 341

Notes 383

Selected Bibliography 431

Acknowledgements 433

About the Author 435

Index 437

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