1900-1950
1909
In 1909, The Federal Government passed the Canadian Red Cross Society Act that legally established the Red Cross as the corporate body responsible for providing volunteer aid in Canada in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
1910s and 1920s
At the Cannes Conference, the Red Cross societies of the United States, Britain, France, Italy and Japan organized a program of global health improvement, thereby creating a peacetime role for the Red Cross. While the Canadian Red Cross would stand ready to offer aid in all wars and uprising, it had already begun a post-war program of health education to the public. It became deeply involved in public health through its provision of: outpost hospitals and nursing stations, home nursing classes, visiting housekeepers, nutrition services, and the establishment of courses in public health nursing at five Canadian universities.
The Junior Red Cross was formed with the goal of improving the health of Canadian children.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recognized the Canadian Red Cross as an independent national Red Cross Society. This permitted the Canadian Red Cross to join the League of Red Cross Societies, today known as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
1930s
In 1939, the Red Cross established 2,088 branches, nine provincial divisions, and a national headquarters in Toronto to prepare for World War II. When the war began, the development of the Women’s War Work program and the Canadian Red Cross Corps. positioned women as the backbone of our volunteer programs.
Our first aid program was established. First aid posts on the highway between Montreal and Toronto provided emergency care for victims of traffic accidents.
1940s
The Canadian Red Cross became firmly embedded in Canadian society through its extensive war work. By the end of 1945, one-quarter of the Canadian population was its active members. During World War II, the Canadian Red Cross organized $80 million in money and materials for the comfort and relief of the sick and wounded. As wounded veterans returned to Canada, the Red Cross offered programs to help them return to society. Following the war, we again returned our focus to health and safety issues.
The Canadian Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service opened its first blood depot in Vancouver. The aim of this service was to provide blood free-of-charge to anyone in Canada who needed it.
1950s
The outpost hospital program reached its peak in the early 1950s, with almost 90 outpost units across Canada.
The Red Cross continued supporting victims of war by sending a Medical-Social Welfare team to Korea, and later participated in the exchange of prisoners of war.
On the international scene, the Canadian Red Cross administered the Canadian Hungarian Fund and operated refugee camps in Austria and the Netherlands.
