NEWSBRIEFS I Five physicians chosen for Order of Canada Canada's highest distinction Dr. Wilson, nominated as one of Dr. Germain Bigue, born in awarded in recognition 17 new officers, was born in Ed- Saint-Thcle, Quebec in 1912, will monton in 1913, and has had a become a member of the Order. of outstanding achievement lifetime involvement with medical Dr. Bigu. has devoted considerable and service. education in this country; from skill and energy to improving the 1968-78 he served as director of health services in the Val d'Or re- "I don't do post-mortems on emo- the R.S. McLaughlin examination gion: he opened a clinic for the tions", commented Dr. Donald and research centre of the Royal workers at the Lamaque and Sigma Wilson of Edmonton, "but I College of Physicians and Surgeons, mines in the 1950s; served as chief couldn't help being pleased and sur- and was instrumental in ensuring of surgical services at St-Sauveur prised when I heard this was in the that all doctors, wherever they had Hospital from 1955-1965 and sub- wind. And humbled - because trained, were tested to the same sequently as director of professional there are so many great Canadians levels of excellence and compe- services from 1970-78; established who don't get on the Governor tence. the first blood bank and a division General's list." Among his several other accom- of the Canadian Cancer Society in Dr. Wilson is one of five physi- plishments, from 1954-68 Dr. Wil- the area; and is active in commu- cians among the 57 Canadians re- son was professor and chairman of nity affairs ranging from the Val cently appointed to the Order of the University of Alberta's depart- d'Or Historical Society to the Val Canada, the highest distinction in ment of medicine, from 1978-80 d'Or senior citizens' home. He is a the country, by Governor General he was chairman of the Muttart former president of the Quebec Schreyer. The Order was estab- Foundation, he is currently writing Medical Association, a member of lished in 1967 to recognize out- a history of medicine in Alberta, the board of directors and an hon- standing achievement and service in and he was recently asked by the St. orary member of the CMA, and various fields of human endeavour, John Ambulance organization to set has been awarded the Canadian and the newest recipients will re- up an evaluation program for the Red Cross Medal for his outstand- ceive their decorations at an inves- training it gives 300 000 Canadians ing contribution to the Red Cross. titure to be held this spring. a year. Dr. Louis Siminovitch, named as Barbeau Wilson Guilison 310 CMA JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 1, 1981/VOL. 124 an officer of the Order, is already and spent the following 35 years very well-known beyond medical in the small seaside town of Som- and academic circles. Born in peta. He began general medical Montreal in 1920, he is geneticist- work in a small dispensary which in-chief at the Hospital for Sick developed into what is now a 125- Children, Toronto. He previously bed Eye Hospital to which blind worked at the National Research people come from a radius of Council in Ottawa, in Chalk River 1120 km. By 1975 Dr. Gullison's in the Atomic Energy Project, at Operation Eyesight Universal was the Connaught Medical Research supporting eight hospitals in India Laboratories, University of Tor- and four eye clinics and hospitals in onto, and at the Ontario Cancer Bangladesh: that year 26 889 pa- Institute before taking his present tients were treated and some 14 893 appointment in 1969. Dr. Simino- were given restored eyesight. The vitch is internationally known for costs, which work out to $25 per his work in molecular biology, person, are met from voluntary and for his strong views on the donations and grants from the Al- significance of the social conse- berta government's Overseas Aid quences of scientific discoveries. He Program and from CIDA. has published over 125 articles and chapters in medical journals, since 1960 has been the editor of Virol- ogy, and has received numerous Un timbre . l'effigie awards including the Flavelle Gold d'un m.decin Medal of the Royal Society of Canada. du Quebec Another eminent researcher on the Governor General's list of of- ficers is Dr. Andre Barbeau, born in Montreal in 1931 and today professor of neurology and direc- tor of the neurobiology department at the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal - the department he founded in 1967. Dr. Barbeau dis- covered the L-dopa treatment for Parkinson's disease which, along with Friedrich's disease, is the focus of his research. Dr. Barbeau is au- thor and editor of 25 scientific books, has written more than 380 scientific articles, and has received a number of awards including the Markle Scholarship in Medical Science, the annual prize of the Canadian Mental Health Associa- tion, and an honorary doctorate from the National University of Uruguay. OMA president puts A very different kind of doctor has been named as one of the association 38 new members of the Order of Canada. Dr. Ben Guilison is found- on "war alert" er of Operation Eyesight Universal. Born in 1905 in Nova Scotia, Dr. Gullison attended an English board- ing school in South India, the con- tinent where he has spent most of his life. After studying medicine at Edinburgh, he returned to India in 1933 under the board of the Canadian Baptist Overseas Mission, 4.4. A 6 I S - I S S - .I .0 S - - '5- S - 0' - S S ' - --5-'. ' , '5- ' - S '6 S - Se - 5 '4. -S S. "S '5- 55 S .'S S SO A. IA - - With a provincial election im- be prorated for other membership minent in Ontario, Dr. MacMillan categories. has expressed concern that opting Commenting on the OMA plans, out may become a political issue Ontario NDP leader Michael Cas- and that the government may be sidy said that if the president of pressed into implementing some of the OMA wants to put his asso- the recommendations of the Hall ciation on a "war alert" over the report, particularly the recommend- issue of extra billing, he should be ation to ban extra billing. Dr. Mac- prepared for a battle. Millan said that the medical pro- fession in Ontario must be prepared to defend its position as both valid and nondisruptive to health care British Columbia delivery. The OMA has designated its appoints new executive committee as the political health minister action committee and formed three special subcommittees - the com- mittees on communications, on po- litical activity and on sanctions. James Neilsen shows Also, the association has retained a dislike for the services of an advertising agen- cy, Vickers and Bensons Ltd. of government overregulation. of the environment and 3 years Toronto, to consult on matters of before that as minister of consumer communications and public rela- British Columbia's new health min- and corporate affairs His record in tions. ister, James Nielsen, may bring glad both of these portfolios shows a Financing of the communications tidings to BC physicians concerned steady solid and conservative ap- program will come from a special about fee-schedule negotiations proach to issues and a dislike for "war fund" established by increas- coming up this spring. overregulation by government He ing the 1981 fees for ordinary mem- Nielsen, 42, comes to the health is considered to be a conservative bership by $100. The increase will portfolio from 2 years as minister member of the Social Credit cabinet "more in favour of free enterprise while his predecessor, Rafe Mair BCMA announces was "absolutely against extra bill- ing" according to a health ministry Terry Fox communications officer. Nielsen first entered politics in Lectureship 1974 after 15 years in radio as a hotliner, talk-show host, political Honouring a selfless commentator, sports and news an- contribution to furthering nouncer and news director. His ap- pointments as minister of the en- medical research vironment and as minister of con- in cancer. sumer and corporate affairs were productive, low profile, noncontro- The British Columbia Medical As- versial and thought by some media sociation has announced a "Terry observers to be underrated because Fox Lectureship" to honour the of his non-academic background in one-legged runner whose Marathon of Hope brought over $12 million radio. .:. By coincidence, the man Nielsen in pledges to the Canadian Cancer is replacing is leaving the helm of Society. the health ministry to host a talk "This lectureship will honour the w* show on a Victoria radio station. selfless contribution that Terry Fox A ministry spokesman told CMAJ has and is making toward cancer 4 that Mair did not resign because of research", said BCMA President any political issue or conflict in Dr. Alex Mandeville. 2 cabinet, adding, "he's got a very The BCMA will invest $1000 0. lucrative job as a talk show host, annually in the lectureship and the 4 probably making $140000 to fund could be accumulated for up BCMA will select the person to $150000 annually as compared to to 3 years to facilitate bringing in give the lecture, which will always the $55 000 he was making as a lecturers from outside Canada. take place at the association s an- cabinet minister." The cancer committee of the nual meeting.E .I S 4 I S S IS - S - - * * - .- S - -. 5'- S S ' - --5-'' * 'I' S * S -. S *' ' S* - S - -S - 5' "S 'S. 55 SEIJJSIL4Ofl S ''S S 55 U A - - S.