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Connaught Laboratories
In 1914, Dr. John G. FitzGerald established the Connaught Medical Research Laboratories. Then in 1921, after the discovery of insulin at the University of Toronto, it expanded significantly manufacturing and distributing insulin at cost all across Canada and even overseas. These labs were also very efficient during both WW1 and WWII as they produced various antitoxins and medications that were crucial due to increased risks of injury infections and exposure to diseases. (Wikiwand, n.d) -
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Technological and Scientific Developments in Canada from 1914-1929
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Poisonous Gas
On April 22, 1915, German forces shocked many allies by using poisonous/mustard gas. They fired more than 150 shots of lethal chlorine gas against two French colonial divisions in Ypres, Belgium. (History, 2010) Due to it’s extremely harmful effects it caused blisters to the skin, eyes, and lungs and internal bleeding killing almost 500,000 soldiers. (Canope, n.d) -
Tanks
Tanks were first developed by the British in response to the trench warfare of World War I. They combined strong fire power with protection from enemy fire which allowed soldiers to move closer to enemy trenches. (Canope, n.d) Tanks immediately became an important military weapon and played a significant role across various battlefields during World War II. (History, 2009) -
Queenston-Chippawa Hydroelectric Power Generator
The Queenston-Chippawa Hydroelectric Power Generator was built between 1917-1925 and was the first large hydro-electric project in the world. It was created in response to increasing urban and industrial demands for more electrical power throughout Toronto and Southern Ontario. This historic place is located in Queenston, Ontario, at Niagara Falls. (Government of Canada, n.d) -
Paris Gun
The Paris gun was a long-range cannon developed by the German Empire during WWI. (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2008) Shooting at about 130 kilometers and weighing over 7000 tons, the gun was initially intended to shell English ports, but it was almost quite impossible, so they decided to use it to shell Paris instead. (Canope, n.d) This is how this gun was given its name. -
The Discovery of Insulin
Insulin is essential to the treatment of diabetes, as all types of diabetes occur due to the body’s inability to use blood sugar efficiently. (Felman, 2018) It was first used in the treatment of diabetes on January 11, 1922, however it was first discovered in 1921 by Sir Frederick G. Banting, Charles H. Best, and JJR Macleod at the University of Toronto. Till this day, it remains the only effective treatment for people with Type 1 diabetes. (Diabetes UK, 2010) -
Snowmobile
The snowmobile was created by Joseph-Armand Bombardier. When he was 15, he first tested his model. He secured a Ford engine to the top of two wooden sleds, with a hand-made wooden propeller attached to the engine. This allowed the vehicle to thrust through the snow. However, due to its model and open propeller, the machine had to be dismantled because it was too much of an injury risk. Later, more efficient prototypes were created. (Yarhi, 2008) -
Battery Less Radio/AC Tube
Edward S. Rogers first wanted to find a way to power a set using electrical AC. (Bradburn, 2012) He successfully invented an AC tube which then led to him to design the world’s first batteryless radio receiver in August 1925. (Brown, 2004) The intention behind this was that he wanted to build a radio that could run off a home electrical system. (Bradburn, 2012) -
The Geneva Protocol
The Geneva Protocol was a treaty signed in 1925 by most of the world’s countries, that declared the use of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, any other chemical weapons and bacteriological methods in the warfare were prohibited. However, the development and production of these weapons and gases were still legal, they were just prohibited later during the warfare. (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019) -
School of Hygiene
As insulin production continued to grow, Dr. FitzGerald and The University of Toronto wanted to fund another school of public health. (Rutty, n.d) They later established the School of Hygiene in response to the growing need for postgraduate medical training in public health and hygiene. (St. Michael’s, n.d) This school of public health was an expansion of Connaught Laboratories.
