History of the CAS

Excerpted in part by DJ Doyle from Watching Closely Those Who Sleep, David AE Shephard, 1993

Skip straight to the events of the
40s - 50s - 60s - 70s - 80s - 90s

1943

• 27 May: Memorandum of Agreement incorporating By-laws signed by HR Griffith, R Rochette, M Digby Leigh, W Bourne, and G Cousineau.
• 21 June: Letters of Patent incorporating Society granted.
• 24 June: provisional Directors meet and elect HR Griffith as President, M Digby Leigh as Secretary, R Rochette and W Bourne as Vice-Presidents. The five founders become the Society's first members - total membership is 5.
• 9 October: first meeting of "Executive", which is equivalent to Council.
• Dues set at $5.00.

• 24 May: first Annual Meeting held at Royal York Hotel in Toronto.
• The NDP platform includes proposal for "universal" health care insurance for Saskatchewan.
• 7 December: membership organized in nine provincial divisions.

• 24 May: membership totals 310 at the end of World War II.
• 15-19 June: first Refresher Course held prior to Annual Meeting.

• 3 March: Committee on Survey of Anaesthetic Services formed - the first CAS Committee.
• RA Gordon elected Secretary-Treasurer.
• CAS office moved to Medical Arts Building in Toronto.

• Saskatchewan Hospital Insurance Plan introduced.
• Fall: first exam held for Royal College certification.

• 23-24 April: Western Canadian Division's meeting held in Regina.

• 16 June: Newfoundland approved as Society's tenth Division.

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1950

• 27 June: first Annual Meeting held separately from the CMA's meeting. Meeting held at the Seigniory Club in Montebello, Quebec.

• First CAS Newsletter issue published.
• Examination for Royal College Fellowship in Medicine Modified for Anaesthesia inaugurated.

• Society's Proceedings published.

• RA Gordon appointed Editor. Inaugural issue of the Canadian Anaesthetists' Society Journal published.

• June: CAS participates in joint CMA-BMA meeting in Toronto.
• WFSA founded and HR Griffith elected as Founder-President.

• Canadian Anaesthetists' Mutual Accumulating Fund established.

• CAS office relocated to 178 St George Street in Toronto.

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1960

• Research grant of $1,000 offered by British Oxygen Company (Canada) Ltd.

• British Oxygen Canada Prize inaugurated; becomes CAS Prize in 1965.
• Heads of Canadian University Departments of Anaesthesia form informal group.
• SM (Stan) Campbell appointed Secretary-Treasurer.

• First presentation of Society's Gold Medal: awarded to W Bourne, HR Griffith, and HJ Shields.
• "Universal" health care insurance plan introduced in Saskatchewan.

• Justice Emmet Hall presents report of Royal Commission on Health Services.

• Residents' Program inaugurated at Annual Meeting - later known as Residents' Competition.

• 1 July: Medicare launched in Canada - became completely universal in Canada April 1, 1972.

• Post of Secretary-Treasurer split into posts of Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer.

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1971

• 12 October: Supplementary Letters Patent embodying revised Constitution and By-laws and formation of formal Executive Committee granted.

• Single-standard examinations introduced by Royal College; certification now the sole standard for specialty certification.

• Past-Presidents' Club formed.

• Council approves Guidelines for Standards of Practice - the first guidelines by any anesthesia society.
• 25 June: Dr EI Eger II inaugurates CAS/Royal College Lecture at Annual Meeting with "Uses of Mac".

• Association of Canadian University Departments of Anesthesia (ACUDA) approves Constitution for this new group.
• ACUDA supersedes former Annual Conferences of Department Chairmen.

• CAS Research Fund established.

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1980

• Obstetric Anesthesia Section formed as first CAS special-interest section. It is followed by Regional Anesthesia, Pediatric Anesthesia, and Cardiovascular and Thoracic Sections between 1984 and 1992.

• CAS office relocated to 94 Cumberland Avenue in Toronto.
• IARS proposes co-sponsorship with the CAS Annual Meeting.

• 1 January: DB Craig appointed Editor.
• 1 February: F Teepell appointed as Executive Director in Society's first non-physician administrative position. He is succeeded by L Mayeda in 1985 and A Andrews in 1988.
• Regional Anesthesia Section approved.

• CAS Research Award presented for the first time - awardee is
  H Nathan.

• CASJ renamed Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia.
• CAS office relocates to 187 Gerrard Street East in Toronto.

• DR Bevan appointed Editor.
• Bid for World Congress of Anaesthesiologists in year 2000 to be held in Canada (Montreal) approved by WFSA.

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1991

• November: CAS office relocates to 1 Eglinton Avenue East in Toronto.

• Membership totals 2,214.

• Dues set at $317.79.
• 4-8 June: CAS' 50th Anniversary Meeting takes place in Halifax.

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