Dr. Sturgeon Assumes Health Officer Duties

[Welland Tribune 1945]

Served R.C.A.F Medical Branch for 4 Years:Practised in Meaford.

First permanent medical officer of health to be attached to the Welland-Crowland health unit, Dr. L.W.C. Sturgeon arrived in the city yesterday afternoon, to take over the duties of M.O.H. here. Dr. Sturgeon succeeds Dr. A.R. Doane who had been temporary medical officer of health for Welland and Crowland for the past two years.

With several years’ experience as a medical officer of health in Meaford, Ont., Dr. Sturgeon was recently discharged from the R.C.A.F. after serving with the medical branch of that service for four years and has graduated from a special course in public health medicine from the University of Toronto.

Dr. Sturgeon told the Tribune that he was impressed with the possibilities of expansion in the medical health unit. The fact that it was one of the first in the province to be organized disclosed a forward looking policy on the part of the public, he stated, and he felt that remarkable work had been done carrying on during the past years in spite of changes and various reverses. He was pleased with the high caliber of present staff, with the friendly co-operation of the members of the board and looked forward to working in the district.

Positive Program

A program of positive health contrast to a “fix-up” health program was outlined by the doctors future plans. He foresaw a  great deal of room for expansion, since it was not functionally large enough he felt however, that with the present beginning it would be possible with only a small increase in personnel, to take in a much larger area. Only as soon as the whole county was organized into units would a truly effective program be carried out.

Dr. Sturgeon was born at  Fennel, Barrie, Simcoe county and attended primary schools there, matriculating from Barrie Collegiate in 1923. He graduated from University of Toronto in medicine in 1930, and interned at the Toronto Eastern General hospital and Ottawa Civic hospital.

In 1931, he began practice in Meaford, and was appointed medical officer of health for Meaford January 1933. He first introduced compulsory measures for pasteurized milk in that in some three years before it was necessary by law, and instituted 100 per cent program of immunization.

In a system of tuberculosis control Dr. Sturgeon authorized examination of school teachers and children and gave chest x-rays.

There was also a traveling clinic in this regard every year. A similar program for goiter prevention was introduced in clinics for school children and other branches of public health were instituted to put Meaford on a sound health bases through a part-time M.O.H. program and using the resources at hand.

Mass Tonsillectomy

One of the doctor’s largest projects undertaken during this time was in 1933, when, after an examination of school children it was found that there were 70 children with defects, whose parents were not able to pay for medical care. A campaign was introduced to raise public subscriptions to take care of tonsils, teeth and eyes and four doctors in the district organized a clinic for a mass tonsillectomy. They took over a vacant building in lieu of a hospital, implementing every nurse available, took out 70 pair of tonsils in 4 mornings.

Dr. Sturgeon also carried on private practice in Meaford during this time, and was particularly interested in sports for teen-aged groups. He was associated with baseball and hockey teams and was the first president of the golf club there, as well as a curling enthusiast. A past president of the Meaford Rotary Club, he was concerned with the crippled children’s committee of this organization, Secretary of the Grey County Medical Association, for seven years, he was counselor of the Ontario Association district covering Grey Bruce and Dufferin counties for two years.

Military Career

In July 1941, Dr. Sturgeon joined the R.C.A.F. choosing this branch of the service because of the opportunities offered in preventative medicine. Stationed at St. Thomas. He later took a course in aviation medicine at No.1 Manning Depot, Toronto and spent nine months at the North Bay recruiting centre. The experience convinced him of the great deal of preventative work could be done, since most of the applicants showed some defects, and a great many others could not pass the physical examinations despite the lowering of standards.

For two years he was stationed at No1 S.F.T.S. at Camp Borden where he was senior medical officer and then was posted to Clinton radio school. The doctor was impressed by the number of qualifications, particularly in sports and music, possessed by the many  United States trainees there.

It was the opinion that they showed fewer medical defects than Canadians  taking similar courses, he attributed this to the fact that in general, school medicine was more advanced in the United States

He was posted to Ottawa where he was in charge of the medical care of the R.C.A.F. headquarters personnel including some 5000 people and was in charge of a staff of 25, including four medical officers. After another four months he was given the opportuniy of securing his diploma in public health medicine from the University of Toronto and spent the next seven months at Toronto. He graduated with high honors, second in his class, and was posted to No.1 air command at Trenton where he was assistant command hygiene officer.

After VE day his work  was greatly reduced and he spent much time traveling from Halifax to Windsor, visiting stations and getting first hand information on public health practice. In August this year, he was sent to Vancouver western air command and spent much time visiting health units which had been organized in British Columbia for some 10 years and discussing problems and practices with personnel there.

He was retired from the airforce in November, with the rank of squadron leader.

Dr. Sturgeon is married to a former Ottawa girl and they have three children, two girls and one boy. The new medical officer of health is at present non-plussed by Welland’s acute housing shortage and is looking for accommodation to move his family here from the present home in Meaford.