The President and Directors of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, 1974, requested that Past-President, Tom Elliott, research and compile a history of the growth of the Institute from 1934 to 1970. In 1961 a presentation entitled "In the Beginning" was prepared by Mr. Alex Cross which covered the formation of the Institute. This sequal is designed to provide accurate information, by subject, for the use of members desiring a quick reference to background material.

The information was obtained from the 800 single-space, typewritten, legal-size pages of the two volumes which make up the minutes of the period. There are only two official copies of the minutes. One is with the Secretary-Treasurer and one with the current National President.

Support material was obtained by research of old correspondence, reports, articles in the Canadian Sanitarian, the Environmental Health Review, the Canadian Public Health Journal, Branch minutes and opinions solicited from the former officers who were involved in the action.

The editor apologizes for the severe editing of the mass of material in the interest of a concise summary. Names of many individuals had to be deleted even though they had been involved in the work. Only those who are on record in the Resolutions have been mentioned.

While the editor collected and compiled the material, it was circulated to a group for comment and correction. Messrs. Alex Cross, Les McCreesh, Byng Cunningham, Douglas Strong, Art Conrad, Aubrey Ball, Ron Hicks, Gordon Anderson and Larry Lychowyd provided considerable support to the project.

Dreams and plans take years to formulate and complete. The period in this presentation produced the answers to the dreams of the pioneers. By 1970 the cycle was complete and new ventures are under way for a future study. This information was history. It is recorded so that it will not be forgotten and in the hope that future inspectors will benefit from the good and avoid the failures.

Public Health Services in Canada are provided by Federal, Provincial and Local agencies. The majority of personnel are from disciplines such as medicine, nursing, engineering, veterinary, laboratory, dental, social, clerical or business. These professionals have adopted public health training and used both backgrounds to fit into the Stream.

The public health inspector was trained and qualified specifically for public health. The profession was not borrowed or loaned from another field but created for the demand. It is an old profession, outdating many of the others as history records inspections of food, housing and unsanitary conditions long before the formal development of the other medical sciences.

The number of qualified inspectors is extremely small. There are fewer inspectors in all of Canada than nurses in a single large hospital complex. Often the inspectors must work in fields where they are miles from the nearest kindred worker, meeting with other inspectors on rare occasions to compare interests.

The inspectors, from early days, desired a means of communicating technical information and comparing techniques so they could serve the public with better environmental sanitation. They wanted regional and national association with their fellow inspectors for training and mutual sources of information.

Some of the early inspectors had been trained in Europe, had enjoyed membership in various associations at home. Others simply felt lonely in their work. All desired recognition and support in the great complex of health service professions, a basic qualification training and certification, communication.

The answer, from the beginning, was to create a national body for the advancement of sanitary science, to raise the status of the inspector, provide training and qualification, permit representation by inspectors in the major health associations. A body which could speak with authority in representing this profession.

The Institute was, and is, necessary and desired.

The public health inspectors had provided a valuable service to public health. They were described as a paramedical service in the total concept of preventive health. When the inspectors decided to form an Institute and obtain a national charter, the Canadian Public Health Association was a natural choice. The Association agreed to provide training and certification through their offices (in fact insisted upon control of the training and qualification), and the Charter was issued which gave the Institute a national recognition for their certificate, The Institute was not a self-licensing organization and so required a recognized national, organization to provide certification.

Many inspectors participated as individuals in the C.P.H.A. not only as members, but as officers in Branch and National Committees. In 1963, the Association appointed a member from the inspector's profession to the Executive Council for the first time (T.E. Elliott, Immediate Past-President of the Institute). There had been inspectors on the Council but they had been appointed because of Branch positions. This recognition proved of great value in later years. In 1967 two more inspectors were appointed (L.A. McCreesh and N. B. Cunningham) to the Executive Committee. That same year shows 18 public health inspectors serving on various committees in the C.P.H.A. under general membership. The Institute and the Association have, over the years, failed to agree on some issues, or on interpretations of various agreements. There have been clashes of personalities. Most often the misunderstandings have been the result of poor communications. Much of this type of problem has been eased with the representation on the Council, capable of projecting the inspector's viewpoint in discussion.

The Canadian Public Health Association publishes a Journal which is highly respected in the field of professional papers. The Journal includes information for the public health inspectors and has presented papers written by inspectors. Inspectors have been represented on the Editorial Board (D. C. Moors). One of the major features of the Journal has been the use of advertising to assist in locating positions. Many inspectors have answered the employers using the Journal to recruit.

One of the major achievements of the founders of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors was a certificate which could be accepted nationally as the basic qualification for an inspector. Under the terms of the Charter applications, the certificate must be issued under the authority of the Canadian Public Health Association. The training and qualification details would be provided by a joint committee of Institute and Association officers.

A Committee of the Institute (A. S. O'Hara, W. J. T. Watt, P. Pickering) was instrumental in getting the General Secretary of the Canadian Public Health Association (Dr. J. T. Phair) to call a meeting on November 25th, 1934, to discuss the details of training and certification. This meeting proved to be very important for the inspectors. It was the start of the whole process of certification and the procedures to be followed by both organizations. The names of the participants are important because they not only engineered the program but also became very much involved in the action. Dr. J. G. Cunningham, Dr. R. T. Defries, Dr. D. T. Fraser, Dr. R. St. MacDonald, Dr.J. A. Bandouin, represented the Association, A. S. O'Hara attended for the Institute. The meeting was held in Toronto at the offices of the Association, the Institute offices at that time were in Winnipeg.

The Committee formed the core of the operation. Later the Institute President (Percy Pickering) was added to the group and after a great deal of correspondence between Mr. Little, Institute Secretary, and Dr. Phair, Association Secretary, a general agreement was reached as to the personnel of the Committee on the Certification of Sanitary Inspectors.

The main Committee would be large with representatives from each organization. The Central Committee would be the original Core Committee and would meet in Toronto on a regular basis, for efficiency. At the June annual meeting of the Canadian Public Health Association, 1935, the report of the Committee on Certification was presented and the first examinations were set for December of that year. The announcement was made formally in the Public Health Journal, Volume 26, Number 7, July 1935. The first syllabus of subjects was also approved.

Local examining groups would be established in the areas served by Branch Committees of both organizations. Each Board would have at least one medical officer of health, one sanitary engineer and one representative of the Institute who was a qualified inspector. There would be a minimum of three written papers and the oral exam would be on local, practical subjects reflecting field training.

The training was to be provided by a correspondence course which should qualify a candidate for the tests. This course is detailed in another chapter.

Over the years the rules changed to accommodate the growing demand and procedure flaws indicated by experience. Applications from candidates who had been trained in other countries had to be processed. The standards were compared and it was decided that every candtiate must spend at least one year in Canada to become familiar with local terms and conditions.

The Committee established a fee for the training course and another for the examination. This fee was sufficient to make the process self-supporting by 1938. It became a source of revenue to the Association for many years as the costs were less than the revenue.

By 1954 the Committee was able to issue a detailed list of basic educational requirements for all provinces and for other countries, using Grade 12, Ontario, as the standard.

In 1962, the size of the Committee was found to be rather large and change to a smaller group would be an advantage administratively. The organizations agreed upon a change to a Board of Certification with five representatives from the Institute. Three would be corresponding members and two, who lived near Toronto, would be "sitting members. '' This greatly simplified the process of meetings and decisions.

In 1963 the Institute became known as the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors and so it became desirable to change the name on the certificate. The Certificate in Sanitary Inspection (Canada) became the Certificate in Public Health Inspection (Canada). The term Canada was added because it implied the national aspect of the qualification and it also kept the initials from conflict with other citations and qualifications.

Many of the inspectors felt a concern over the change of title on the certificate. They feared that issuance under the new term might be interpreted to be a higher qualification associated with formal courses, etc. (see Change of Name chapter).

The Board of Certification decided to make the new certificate available to all holders of the old one. The inspector would return his certificate and be issued with a new one for a small fee. The old certificate would be returned for the owner's keeping.

A problem arose in the simple process of numbering the certificates. Many wanted the new one to have the same number as the old. This proved difficult in that the signatures had changed and the new officers preferred to sign current numbers. In their wisdom, the Board members decided to issue new numbers for each certificate. Hence the inspector with the old certificate number 424 would find his new one had 1483 for example. This had a side effect upon the registration records. Formerly the number on a certificate indicated the number of persons qualified at the time, but now this was no longer the case.

The Board of Certification maintained the record of all qualified inspectors. Copies of the register were kept by the inspectors and the Board. This was accepted as a formal registration of qualified personnel. Over the years when some inspectors asked for registration the officers of both organizations were at a loss to understand the requests because they felt the Institute had a Registry as part of the Board of Certification operation.

The correspondence course for training was replaced by formal training programs in educational institutions. There had been five different means of obtaining the basic qualifications acceptable to the Board for examination. British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba and Ontario had slightly different training programs and there was the overseas qualification standard.

The Board of Certification became involved in the same areas as the Institute's Committee on Professional Development. Representatives on both Committees (L. A. McCreesh, M. B. Cunningham) found themselves acting as a liaison with both interests. They met with the President of Ryerson Institute of Technology in Toronto and helped to establish the subjects which such establishments could provide as a basis for formal education.

By 1970 the Board of Certification was devoting most of its time to the selection of suitable subjects and formal training. Studies were under way for changes in exam-ination and field training procedures. The certificate continues to be issued and held in high esteem by employers and holders.

The Committee on Certification of Sanitary Inspectors created the Certificate in Sanitary Inspection (Canada) and provided the means of qualification. One of the basic provisions was a course of studies in preparation for the written and oral exam-inations. This course was conducted by correspondence so any applicant could avail himself of the required information.

The Committee produced a Manual of studies. The Manual was written by selected personnel in the field of sanitation, environmental conditions and communicable diseases. Many of the papers were written by members of the Committee itself.

The Manual grew in size over the years and became a recognized publication in basic sanitation, desired by other agencies and libraries. It was revised on a number of occasions. By 1946 it had become a 260 page edition. The size was rather large. Pages were 3½ inches by 13½ inches in a brown cover, loose leaf style. Amendments could be readily added. Many students poured over the Manual for basic knowledge of the profession.

The course was taken by assignments. The student was given a series of exercises, each followed by a page of questions. He completed the reading and any local research and filled in his answers and mailed the exercises in weekly to the Toronto offices of the Canadian Public Health Association. The Examiner marked the paper, added comments and returned the assignments to the student.

Following the course and successful marks on the exercises the student would apply for the final examination including the written and oral tests. These were provided on dates set by the Board of Examiners in each location.

In the beginning, a grandfather clause provided for those who were in the field for some time, or those who held qualifications from other countries acceptable to the Committee (R.S.I.). Some Institute members, to add to the emphasis of their support of the principle of qualification, took the course or at least the examinations. There was a very serious feeling that the course and the certificate must be supported and that the qualification must be earned.

Further references to the courses is made in the chapters on Committee on Certification and Formal Courses.

The first Certificate in Sanitary Inspection (Canada) was issued in December of 1935. Number 1 was earned by Mr. Arthur Dicaire of Lachine, Quebec. There were ten in the group - number 2, Stanley Fairhurst, Victoria; number 3, T. H. Jackson, Toronto; number 4, H. Jamieson, Swift Current; number 5, A. McCullough, Vancouver; number 6, A.W. McDonald, Toronto; number 7, A. S. O'Hara, Kenora; number 8, A.C. Pettipas, Dartmouth; number 9, E.G. Southon, Swift Current, and number 10, Jacob Weis, Stratford.

The acceptance of the correspondence course as a means of training across the country is indicated even in the initial examinations. These students took the course at their own expense. The present Institute owes a debt to the early students and teachers for the manner in which they worked and co-operated with the Committee.

By 1938, one hundred certificates had been issued, and by 1945, three hundred and eighty-six. This was the period when the country was still suffering from the great financial depression of the thirties and engaged in a World War. The return of the Armed Forces provided a new recruitment and by 1956 the President and Secretary of the Canadian Public Health Association, and the President of the Institute proudly signed certificate number 1,000 (W. H. Cocker, Woodstock, Ontario).

The correspondence course started, to phase out as the formal courses were started in regular institutions of learning. The teaching and marking portion was transferred to Mr. Mark Flattery of Winnipeg, who along with some of his co-workers, including A. Cross, handled the chore until 1968 when the final paper was completed. The many students who participated during this last period will remember the very personal involvement of the teachers in the comments on their papers.

The correspondence course Lasted from 1935 to 1968 and served its purpose well. It had provided the basic training for many of the inspectors currently in the field. It resulted in the formal register of graduates. The course provided inspectors who were well accepted by their employers. They had to work, learn on their own time, at home, with local research and by contacting existing agencies. They earned their qualifications the hard way.

The subject of formal courses overlaps the Committee or Board of Certification, the Committee on Professional Development, Correspondence Courses and the Committee on Professional Education of the Canadian Public Health Association. This chapter will seek to cover the other aspects of the background material as well.

It should be remembered that in a number of the Branch operations, courses had been held in various schools, universities and technical institutions for periods of a few days to a month on specific subjects. These had proven highly successful and were the start of the idea for a formal course of instruction in an institution of higher learning.

The dream was to have a diploma course at a recognized university. In 1950 at Montreal, a Resolution was placed asking the Directors to investigate the basic course for inspectors with the objective of providing a, post-secondary school regular course (L.H. Hancey, C. Mallett).

In 1951 a rather unique distinction was given under a Resolution at an Annual Meeting which is worth quoting. "That the C.I.S.I. do constitute and appoint Alexander Stuart O'Hara C.D., M.R.S., A.M.I., C.S.I.(C), being an Honourary Member of the Institute, as Honourary Consultant on Education, Training and Institute Relations, to be authorized to collect, assess and present to the Institute information, at his discretion, he may deem essential to the advancement of the purpose of the Institute." In the complex nature of today or future educational negotiations this type of authority would be rare indeed.

John Homer, in 1952, applied for Federal Grants to support formal courses in Ontario. The course was given at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, and lasted until the Provincial Department of Health ran the training course at the School of Trades in Toronto under Major O'Hara, as Secretary and an instructor, 1956-57. This was a Branch effort but it is important in the final negotiations for the Institute.

Mr. Stan George prepared a brief on the need for educational training grants on a national scale and this was delivered by N. Whittaker to the Federal Minister of Health and Welfare.

The committees on training had been at work over the years. Many meetings and considerable correspondence had taken effect. The Ontario school for inspectors was moved back to Ryerson for a one year course.

In 1966 the Board of Certification was able to advise the Institute and the Canadian Public Health Association that approval had been granted for two year courses at Ryerson Potytechnical Institute in Toronto and the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Vancouver. The schools would accept candidates from any part of the country and a limited number of foreign countries. There would be continued negotiations for more training centers.

The correspondence courses would now cease, and the future candidates for the examinations in the certificate would require the graduation from the schools.

An Environmental Health Study was sponsored under the Canadian Public Health Association with a grant from the Federal Government, Department of National Health and Welfare. The Committee (A. S. O'Hara was Secretary) would draft a series of information letters sent to all agencies indicating the work of inspectors and their training needs. The project would be a useful tool in future negotiations for training and for all professional recognition. At the time, the Executive of the Canadian Public Health Association was also conducting a similar study on nursing and other health disciplines towards a national evaluation of the professions in public health.

In 1969 the first graduates of the two year courses entered the field. The St. Hyacinthe Technical Institute was considering the start of similar courses in the French language.

With this progress in training, the value of the Certificate in Public Health Inspection (Canada) increased. The profession sought further training in advance courses still with the objective of a diploma or degree course as a basic, or at least available for higher positions.

The certificate continued to be issued by the Board of Certification, under the authority of the Canadian Public Health Association. Regardless of the means of qualification, the national recognition of the C.P.H.I.(C) remained. Each graduate's certificate had the signature of the President and Secretary of the Association and the President of the Institute. The certificates were mailed back and forth across the country to obtain these signatures and the numbers were recorded in the Registry.

It has been said that many a man has failed to bring his favorite girl to the altar because she simply could not accept his last name. People find great difficulty in adjusting to a change of name or title. It upsets their accepted concept of things, whether it be a new person in a position or a new name for a government agency.

The Institute suffered pangs while wrenching the membership towards a new title. In the early days, when the Institute was preparing to apply for a charter, the name was chosen after a lot of controversy. The Western Sanitary Inspectors' Association of Canada, and later, the Sanitary Inspectors' Association of Canada had carried the term from the influence of inspectors trained in Europe.

Mr. Fred Austin indicates in his reports that members of the Manitoba Branch wanted "sanitary" changed to "public health" in 1933. However, in the interest of focus-ing attention on the charter, the name was selected - "The Canadian Institute of Sanitary Inspectors." Letters of the time indicate that the Institute seemed to possess the ideal of training and education whereas Association could imply too closely with the Canadian Public Health Association.

In 1948, Mr. Stan Husband was concerned about the translation of the name into French. Some of the Directors indicated that the old name was good enough for the old countries and well accepted in Canada so there was no need for change. The issue was secondary to other problems and so was shelved. The Branch Committees felt otherwise. The local inspectors did not like the idea of many sanitation and pest control firms using the term sanitary inspector in industry. The English inspectors had changed their name to public health inspectors, and in the United States the name had been changed to sanitarian.

By 1955 the Branch representatives were again seeking a change of name. They favoured the name Canadian Institute of Sanitarians. The National Executive asked Mr. Aubrey Ball to make a survey of all the members seeking the desire for change. From the replies he reported that the members did want a new name but there was no agreement on what it should be. He found that the term public health inspector was favoured over public health sanitarian by only 34 votes. He proposed that the name be changed to "The Canadian Association of Public Health Inspectors."

Mr. 0. Thompson supported the term "officer" in place of inspector. Mr. A.C. Dobson gained some support for the "Canadian Association of Sanitarians." The Windsor conference was coming up and President Al Stringer wanted to clear up the situation.

It must be remembered that the Branches all had private opinions and desires. Communication of the suggestions was rather limited, so when the subject came to the floor it was an obvious stage for argument. Even the voting procedure was challenged, and Don McNab was asked to take the chair so Mr. Stringer could argue the selection. The final vote went to "Canadian Association of Public Health Sanitarians" by a slim majority. The Executive considered this an accomplishment and hoped for an end to the matter. They even presented the incoming President, Tom Elliott, with a gavel on which was engraved the new name. It is probably the only momento of the selection.

The Secretary Of State advised that the new name was too similar to the Canadian Public Health Association. All hell broke loose. Hot letters streamed across the country violently objecting or making suggested changes. The new Executive turned to Mr. Aubrey Ball to calm the waters. He succeeded in having the whole business of change of name declared null and void. The way was open for a new barrage of suggestions.

Here are some of the suggestions considered in the period 1958 to 1960:

1. Canadian Association of Environmental Control Officers
2. Canadian Association of Public Health Sanitarians
3. Canadian Association of Public Health Inspectors
4. Canadian Association of Public Health Officers
5. Canadian Sanitarian Association
6. Association of Sanitary Science (ASS)
7. Canadian Association of Health Inspectors
8. Canadian Association of Health Educators
9. Association of Public Health Educators
10. Canadian Institute of Sanitarians
11. Canadian Institute of Environmental Health
12. Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors

There were additional variations in the correspondence, but the above actually reached the floor of conferences. To many of the inspectors the whole matter seemed childish and a waste of time. They were stating desires in other fields which they wanted placed in priority. Perhaps this would account for some of the delay on the issue.

The selection of a new name was proving to be anything but a simple process. Factors started to be tied together to lay the groundwork for another attempt. Since the certificate would be involved, there would be advantages in support from the Board of Certification and the Canadian Public Health Association. Provincial Health Acts would have to amend the sections referring to inspectors.

It happened at the time that the Canadian Public Health Association appointed an inspector to the Executive Council for the first time. They chose Mr. T. E. Elliott. There could be no doubt as to his interests in the Institute as he had been elected for a second term as National President. An informal liaison was established in this way between the two organizations. The Saskatchewan Branch of the Association was represented on the Council by Mr. A. S. Taylor, also an inspector. The two were able to support Resolutions arising from Institute requests.

There was another side effect worth mentioning as a factor. The Executive Council included the Deputy Ministers of Health for each province. The meetings were set to coincide with sessions of the National Council of Health. These astute gentlemen were capable of taking the feelings of the Executive to the other levels of government. The inspectors were well aware of the situation and the avenue of power for support in change of name legislation.

Correspondence had been going on between the President, National and Branch officers as the various aspects of the name change developed. The "steering committee" was an informal one (Elliott, Ball, McCreesh, Cross), but they felt the climate was right for the 1960 conference in Montreal. They decided to serve notice of motion and to arrange for a ballot by sending the proposed names to individual members who would advise voting delegates as to their choice.

At the annual meeting, the Saskatchewan Branch Resolution for selection in accord with the advance notice was carried. Then a second Resolution stating that the words "public health" be used rather than "health" alone, also carried. Then the seven final name choices, as sent to the members were voted upon by elimination. Final vote was 103 for, 20 opposed, and 23 abstentions. The name authorized was "The Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors" - Amen.

While the final choice was not the name favoured by the individuals who worked so hard for it, the selection was supported. Committee process began.

The process was delayed because the Secretary of State again placed opposition to the similarity to the C.P.H.A., and because the new term was not generally recognized in provincial legislation. Mr. McCreesh, as Secretary-Treasurer, had engaged the services of a solicitor and the Canadian Public Health Association set up an "ad hoc" committee to assist the Institute in the matter. The legal work proceeded slowly over a period of two years, but the various forces supported as promised.

In 1963, at the annual meeting, the announcement was made that the name was official, the Charter had been changed, and the certificate would be "The Certificate in Public Health Inspection (Canada)."

Many fraternal, scholastic and service organizations have adopted the feudal system of recognizing members by wearing an insignia. The Institute desired a lapel badge and a letterhead. The choice was to use the Institute Seal.

The Executive of the original Institute (as recorded in the presentation "In the Beginning" by Alex Cross) held a competition in 1932 for a design to be used in applications for the Charter, as a seal. Mr. Percy Pickering was an inspector in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was a talented artist and he painted a circular insignia with the idea of a seal in mind. It included a rod or pillar entwined by a snake and had a maple leaf at the base, with the name between the two outer circles. He won the contest and the prize ($5.00 or some nominal amount) and his entry is still in use today with minor changes.

The Institute provided members with a lapel badge using the Seal. The original badges were three-quarters of an inch in diameter, but in 1962, R. Cadieux of Montreal obtained a smaller die and the one-half inch diameter button of today was issued. The original badge had a blue background. Later the Branch Officers were issued with red backgrounds, and later still, the National President was issued with a gold badge. In 1968, Mr. N. Helfrick produced a crest for blazers in cloth with metal needlework. Blazers with the crest on the upper left pocket were presented to the Presidents for wear at all meetings.

The Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors is a Corporation without shared capital.

Under the Charter, by-laws may be passed, sanctioned by a two-thirds majority of ballots cast at a general (special) meeting, duly called for consideration of the by-law, the Directors may from time to time:

a) Borrow money upon the credit of the Corporation
b) Limit or increase the amount to be borrowed
c) Issue bonds, debentures, debenture stock or other securities of the Corporation and pledge to sell the same for such sums and at such prices as may be deemed expedient.
d) Hypothecate, mortgage, or pledge, the real or personal property of the Corporation, or both, to secure any such bonds, debentures, debenture stock or other securities and any money borrowed for the purpose of the Corporation.

Mr. Anderson, Secretary-Treasurer in 1974, advises that an amendment makes the vote three-quarters rather than two-thirds, as stated in the Charter.

The Institute has not found issuance of any debentures a necessity to date.

In the early days, and well into the late fifties, all expenses were paid by the individual members from their own aocket. There was no provision for expense accounts.

It was decided to collect fees for membership. The fee would be collected by the Branch Committees and split with the National Treasury. In 1940 the fees were five dollars with one dollar staying in the Branch. In 1947 two dollars remained with the Branch. In 1954 the fee became ten dollars with forty percent remaining in the Branch and the sixty percent sent to the National.

As annual National conferences grew to two and three day affairs, with social and display features and program advertising produced revenue, the host Branch would share the surplus revenue with the National. Between 1948 and 1968 the conference revenue was $6,146.27. London, 1966 ($969.15), and Waskesieu were high years.

If the initial standards of qualification are high enough, why worry about developing more? Many of the inspectors over the years have felt that emphasis on basic qualifications through the Board of Certification were sufficient to protect the profession. Others, with the constant changes in technology and the social-political environment, sought to protect the status of the profession against inroads from other fields.

One of the major advantages the public health inspector has enjoyed through the years has been the respect developed for his integrity and desire to serve. In many speeches by health ministers and senior officials mention has been made of the inspector's ability to use discretion. He has become a specialist in communication between the technical and legislative regulations and the people at a grass-root level. This exposure or experience has high value, but is hard to translate into the academic scale of status used in recognition of individuals or groups when negotiating salaries. In short, the inspector must be necognized for both field work and his educational achievements.

Early work was undertaken in the Branch Committees to provide in-service training. Some of these courses were provided in universities or other post-secondary centres of education. All were designed to add to the general academic background of the field worker.

In the Institute several ad hoc committees had been functioning, but there was a need for a standing committee with continuity from year to year to save overlapping and confusion. In 1964, three of the members of the Board of Certification (A. S. O'Hara, L. A. McCreesh, M. B. Cunningham) were appointed as the Committee on Professional Development for the Institute. The advantage of the moment was two-fold. They could meet at the same time as they were together for Board of Certification sessions, and they were in direct contact with the educational institutions and with the people who served on the Committee on Professional Education of the C.P.H.A.

It is important to note that the Committee on Professional Education was the Canadian Public Health Association with representatives from the inspection personnel, but also all the other disciplines. The Committee on Professional Development was a purely Institute body.

Research produces very little about the terms of reference for the Committee, and its guidelines were extremely broad. Over the years there were changes in the personnel (L. Dodgson, W. A. (Wally) MacDonald, J. Powell), but the focus was on education and in contacts with the sources of advanced training.

The Committee became very much involved in the formation of formal courses, again with close liaison through the Board of Certification. Then the Environmental Health Administration Certificate was under development, this Committee met very often to study proposals for a curriculum. The members were active with Ryerson Polytechnical Institute and British Columbia Institute of Technology officials in both the two year formal course and the in-service courses.

The Committee functions towards a degree course and the upgrading of basic training, continuing to have concern with the academic background for public health inspection.

The ink had scarcely dried on the agreement for certification of inspectors when rumblings started for some form of advanced recognition. Branch Committees discussed possible senior certificates in 1938-40. Reports entered the National minutes in l943-6l asking for advanced training and higher certification, under a variety of terms. The one which appeared most often was "senior certificate".

This was an unfortunate term, it was resented by those who felt it could imply less value on the basic certificate and confusion to empioyers. Mark Flattery, who worked so hard with the correspondence course, felt the effort should be directed to more basic formal training. He wanted no "second class graduates." The Board of Certification wanted no part of it.

Mr. 0. McNab chaired a Committee to set up terms of reference for any advanced training or recognition. There were many letters of very strong opinion between Committee members (0. McNab, A. Cross, W. Burns, T. Elliott) and McNab resigned in protest. Mr. Cross agreed to complete the assignment and prepared a basic document. All candidates would have from ten to twenty-five years (in dispute) experience, a letter from a medical officer of health on satisfactory service, some additional educational training (added later) and a grandfather clause for the senior personnel.

The Board of Certification began to take a more favoured look at it. In the Canadian Public Health Association Journal of July 1961, they printed a report on the proposal, unfortunately still using the term "senior certificate." This produced scathing letters from Mr. Aubrey Ball. At the Board of Certification level, and in the Executive Council of the Canadian Public Health Association, inspectors (T. Elliott, A. Taylor, L. A. McCreesh) had set aside the actual term for a name and the translation into French, in favour of general approval in principle. In 1962 the term "Certificate in Environmental Sanitation" was proposed. This was new and fresh, avoiding the old prejudices, and it received the approval of the annual meeting, including Don McNab and Aubrey Ball.

For some years the subject lay dormant. It was set aside to permit the Committee on Professional Development and the Directors to concentrate on the formal training courses. Minor discussions were held on the length of time to be considered as field experience.

Once the formal courses were provided, the subject of advanced training was again ignited. This time, Dr. Barr of the Ryerson Polytechnical Institute was invited to speak to the Annual Meeting in London. He proposed that the Certificate in Public Administration would be an ideal course and presently available by day or night classes and by correspondence.

Some inspectors, particularily in the British Columbia and Atlantic Branch Committees objected to the amount of administration on the course. Others argued that all in-service training courses were technical as was the basic course, so it could be assumed any inspector wishing to advance in his local employment would need more administrative skill. This appealed to the majority and the course was agreed upon. The "guinea pigs" would be senior Institute members who would enroll at a cost of $600.00 each, paid by themselves, and to extend over three years.

As the course developed, a meeting between Dr. Barr, M. B. (Byng) Cunningham and Les McCreesh established the course subject matter and added technical subjects as alternatives. In 1968 the schools agreed upon a full course growing out of the original, to be known as the Certificate in Environmental Health Administration.

The seed was sown, the C.P.H.I.(C) plus the C.E.H.A. could form a basic towards a degree course.

The Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors has been decreed as outmoded, dormant, even dead, over the years. Critics have indicated that it ceased to serve a purpose and should be replaced by some form of bargaining agency. Its death was akin to that described by Mark Twain when he was reported dead, "greatly exaggerated." There has continued to be a need for self-improvement, education, standardization and qualification.

The focus of public attention on the "diseases of choice" - cancer from smoking, cirrhosis of the liver from alcohol, and increases in venereal disease have broadened the scope of preventive work. New housing standards, food control, housing and industrial working conditions, expand the environmental work. Shorter working hours create new fields in the recreation areas. Various committees have been established to cope with these developments. In addition, within the Institute itself, the Constitution and By-laws had to be changed. In 1953 Mr. Stan George set up a special committee to study necessary amendments. In 1960 the Directors were able to draft a new Constitution and By-Laws, and these were approved by the Secretary of State in 1963.

The Institute had representation on a National Building Code (N. Basarsky, A. Cross) for the National Research Council. Mr. Basarsky was very active while the Committee worked on parts of the report relating to health, and made many trips to Ottawa.

Other committees have set standards for membership, scope of authority for Branch Committees, ethics, and many special projects. These served for the terms required and completed their tasks.

Committee structures continue to be a valid way to prepare information for study by the Directors or by the membership at large, or to implement action on matters approved. There is not space in this presentation to cover the work done by each committee over the years.

In the work of the Institute the Branch Directors are described as Branch Committees of the Institute and the Branch Presidents as Vice-Presidents of the National Body. This use of the term committee helps to avoid problems in describing the actions of the several authorities.

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION

The Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors was designed to serve the profession in Canada. To do so it had to provide information on sanitary science as it developed all over the world. Obviously, this would involve other organizations functioning in foreign countries. There have been many attempts to form world-wide groups to communicate through regular channels. To date, the only real liaison has been through the offices of the World Health Organization in the United Nations.

In the period covered by this presentation, the major thrust at an international body was through an organization known as the International Federation of Sanitation Organizations (IFSO). The effort is worth recording.

In 1950 the Institute wrote to a number of countries where similar organizations existed to see if there was an interest in international association. The National Association of Sanitarians in the United States expressed interest. In 1953, National President Stan George, was invited to address the annual meeting of the NAS in Milwaukee on the inspection services in Canada. Dr. Brock Chisholm, of the World Health Organization, was also there. Mr. Poscoe Davis of NAS, Mr. George and Mr. J.A. Stringer held a number of meetings, and considerable correspondence during the 1955-57 period, to agree upon the set up of an international association, They would start with the two countries and invite others to join. The formation was made official at a meeting of the NAS and the C.I.S.I. in Seattle Washington in 1957. The two organizations were holding annual conferences at the same time. The Institute members travelled by train from Vancouver for a dinner meeting in a Seattle hotel. Dr. Brock Chisholm was the speaker. H. Branston and J.A. Stringer were elected to the new Executive representing Canada.

There was much interest from other countries. The Institute of Scientific Information in the USSR requested copies of papers, British Isles, New Zealand, Australia, and the Middle East countries engaged in correspondence. Mr. Stringer went to England on a personal trip and met with the Association of Public Health Inspectors there. The British Columbia Branch provided officers (J. Webb, A. C. Dobson, D. McNab, A. Lincoln, R. Scott, W. H. Branston) and Mr. Stringer was elected President for a term.

While the two founding members provided most of the funds and did the work, the interest seemed to wane. By 1966 the IFSO finances were in trouble and the project was struggling for survival.

Mr. A. S. O'Hara attended a meeting of the NAS in Chicago in 1966. He was advised that the Association had voted to dissolve the IFSO. In his report to the Institute, Mr. O'Hara indicated that the original idea of a federation was his, and that he had proposed it be designed along the lines of the International Conference of Nurses. He felt the organization would have been more successful if it had followed that course. He approached a Mr. Fish and NAS President Ward Duel with his ideas, but could not gain their support.

In 1967 the International Federation of Sanitation Organizations dissolved. What money was left was split between the two founding organizations. Those who had worked on the Executive were disappointed, but they had done the best they could and expressed the hope that some day another attempt would be made.

This presentation cannot do justice to the work done by the National and Branch Newsletters. They speak for themselves and most inspectors are familiar with them. A review of the magazine (?) published nationally will attempt to indicate the desire to communicate in this format.

In 1935 the new Institute decided to provide a newsletter. They hoped to design it along the lines of the journals published by similar organizations in other countries. The Directors applied to the Rockefeller Foundation for funds. The names considered were "Journal, Outlook and Digest." It did not materialize although Ben Davies, Alex Cross and Percy Pickering tried to provide some form of newsletter.

Attempts in 1950 also lacked funds. In 1952 the Directors approached the National Association of Sanitarians for a Canadian edition of their fine publication, but again the financing was a problem.

The British Columbia Branch provided an Editorial Board (B. Williams, L. H. Harding, J.A. Stringer, H. Branscon, 0. McNab) in 1954 and the "Canadian Sanitarian" was born. It blossomed and was well received. By 1964 Ken Clark was able to build up the advertising and material and copies were going to all members, and to England, Australia and the United States. The Australian counterpart, The Rampart, published items from the Sanitarian in 1960-63. An article by T. Elliott entitled "Why Stand for Office" was selected by their editors as an editorial. Libraries asked for copies and the Sanitarian was self-supporting.

Up the years, the Editorial Boards and editors changed. The publication moved from west to east and back again. Some of the editors were: George Auton, B. Williams, Ken Clark, Barry Reilly, Byng Cunningham and Larry Lychowyd.

J. Leonard Hiebert took over and the publication changed its name to the "Environmental Health Review.

The Executives used the magazine as an oracle to keep members posted on current events in the Institute. It was an open forum for ideas and ideals. Branch editors provided local material. In pictures and prose it provides the open line of communication to all.

The Institute survived two World Wars. Many of the members enlisted in the Armed Forces. There were serious problems in holding the basic qualifications during these periods when communities needed service and qualified men were not available. There were also problems in the appointments of qualified inspectors entering the service. Many negotiations were held over appointment to Commissioned Rank.

After the Second World War the Institute beêame involved in the Civil Defence programs. In the 1960-64 period, with the formation of Emergency Measures, the Executive arranged to have inspectors included in special training courses and the Arnprior College. Many served their municipalities as co-ordinators or in the health services.

There were many problems of sanitation involved in bomb shelter plans and the planning for mass evacuation of large centres. Food control and pesticides were included.

It would be hard to define all the work done. A summary was provided by a report of the President in 1962 when he said the inspectors had educated the public to expect them to help with any health problems in times of peace. In any emergency, they could be expected to respond to the demand in every way possible.

Year	President		Secretary/Treasurer
	William C. Millar	Man.	Douglas Little	Man.
1934	Percy Pickering	Man.
1936	W.J.T. Watt	Man.
1937	John Foggie	Man.
1939	Alex S. O'Hara	Ont.
1940	J. Arkle	Man.	George Kelly	Man.
1941	Stan George	B.C.
1943	Dave McKee	Ont.
1946	Fred C. Austin	Man.
1947	C.S. Husband	Ont.	G. Lambert	Ont.
1948	C.S. Husband	Ont.	F. Brunelle	Que.
1949	J.A. Hotte	Que.
1950	J.A. Hotte	Que.	L. Huot	Que.
1951	John Homer	Ont.	Fred Lunn	Ont.
1952	Stan George	B.C.
		***********
1954	Harry Jackson	Ont.
1956	J. Al. Stringer	B.C.	W.H. Branston	B.C.
1958	T.E. Elliott	Ont.	L. Berube	Que.
1960	T.E. Elliott	Ont.	Les. A. McCreesh	Ont.
1962	A.A. Ball	Sask.
1964	W.J. Phelan	Atla.
1966	M.B. Cunningham	Ont.
1968	L.E. Benham	B.C.	A.A. Ball	Sask.
1970	A. Conrad	Atla.
1971			G. Anderson	Ont.
1972	L.A. Lychowyd	Ont.

In 1952 the elections were for two year terms. In 1962 the Secretary-Traesurer was named Executive Secretary-Treasurer.

Officers took over on the final day of the annual meeting in the year indicated and carried on until the final day of the annual meeting when the next election was held.

Chartered Corporations must hold annual meetings to offer the membership an opportunity to elect officers, conduct business and communicate information on the operations. The Institute held early meetings in the City Hall in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Prior to that time the Parent Body held meetings in various centres, and since 1945 the Institute has developed annual conferences, hosted by the Branch Committees, at which the annual meeting was held.

1913	Regina		1924	Fort William
1914	Winnipeg		1925	Winnipeg
1916	Winnipeg		1926	Brantford
1917	Regina		1927	Toronto
1918	Winnipeg		1928	Vancouver
1919	Saskatoon		1929	Moose Jaw
1920	Edmonton		1930	Winnipeg
1921	Ottawa		1931	London
1922	Winnipeg		1932	Winnipeg
1923	Calgary		1933	Winnipeg
1934-45	meetings held in Winnipeg
1946	Toronto		1960	Montreal
1947	Winnipeg		1961	Edmonton
1948	Vancouver		1962	Waskesieu
1949	Ottawa		1963	Vancouver
1950	Montreal		1964	Halifax
1951	Edmonton		1965	Winnipeg
1952	Sudbury		1966	London
1953	Vancouver		1967	Montreal
1954	Kingston		1968	Calgary
1955	Waskesieu		1969	Vancouver
1956	Winnipeg		1970	Saint John, N.B.
1957	Vancouver		1971	Regina
1958	Windsor		1972	Windsor
1959	Niagara Falls		1973	Winnipeg

The Sanitary Inspectors Association of Western Canada, The Sanitary Inspectors Association of Canada, became The Canadian Institute of Sanitary Inspectors in 1934 - Head Office, Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, 1963, had Head Offices where the Secretary-Treasurer was located.

Many hours have been spent at Institute and Branch meetings on the subject of salaries, working conditions and fringe benefits. Committees have been set up, surveys made, reports filed. Since the Institute is not a bargaining agency, and under the terms of the Charter, it does not negotiate terms of working agreements, the work has been as a guideline to inspectors.

In 1944 the reports indicate salary ranges were $1,560.00 to $1,800.00 for staff and $2,500.00 to $3,000.00 for supervisors. Some of the larger municipalities were negotiating for higher rates for qualified personnel.

The most extensive survey was made by Mr. C. Young and C. Voaden. They did a detail survey of salaries, holidays, fringe benefits and general working agreements across the country, about 1960. The results were hard to interpret. Many factors entered the report which were local in context and it was hard to arrive at a national standard.

Of interest at the time was one inspector who was shown as the lowest salary in Canada. On investigation he proved to be employed in a company town, where all his expenses, house, car, clothing, groceries, etc., were provided through the company stores. His actual pay was "pocket money".

Between 1946 and 1960 over fifty surveys were made by National and Branch Committees. The Public Health Association also made a general survey. A standard was not possible, although recommendations were made to present salary scales by levels based on experience and training, plus responsibility. Three to five grades were recommended.

Inspectors in many areas do work under union agreements where they are employed by agencies where the staff are covered by the same policies as all other employees.

While the Institute does not provide agreements, and supplies information for the good of the profession, it is possible that with the changing times, future liaison may be a part of the program. Much depends on the future of the training courses and the methods of certification. At the time of this writing, the Institute can only make surveys and recommendations for the members to use in their own negotiations at local levels.

Up the years there have been many reports indicating inroads upon the inspection field from other agencies. This concern is at a grass-root level since it has a direct bearing on the employment plans and the public health programs of the local inspector.

In the minutes of the Institute two types of fragmentation are mentioned. Inroads into the Institute by other organizations and inroads into the work of the inspector by other agencies.

The Institute has been concerned with the International Federation of Sanitarians, but not as an opponent. The Canadian Public Health Association has branches and a national organization, with sections for inspectors, but again this has been a joint arrangement.

The Royal Society of Health was a threat, in some opinion. Inspectors who came from the British Isles were members of the Society and wished to carry with them the advantages of membership, including the Journal. The Journal had features on sanitary science in Europe which gave some view points other than the Canadian-American releases. Through the efforts of Mr. A. S. O'Hara and some other members, Mr. Albert Tyler, Chief Inspector for Bath, England, and an officer in the Royal Society, came to Canada and was impressed with the inspectors' qualifications. It became possible to use the certificate for membership. For awhile it was almost a fad. Many inspectors took out membership and the letters M.R.S.H. were added to their qualifications.

There was talk of a Branch in Canada, and a circular letter of enquiry to the Canadian members raised objection from Mr. A. Cross and Mr. A. C. Dobson at an annual meeting of the Institute. In 1962 a Resolution was passed "the Society be advised that such Branch organization would parallel the Institute and would not serve the best interest of Canadian inspectors".

The Society, in search of funds, made it possible to purchase a Fellowship by paying additional annual fees. This was distasteful to many Canadians who held the Fellowship in high regard. Many gave up their membership and the number decreased considerably by 1970.

The major concern of the individual inspector has been fragmentation of his daily work by engineering and veterinary agencies. The paramedical aspect of public health inspection has made it difficult to protect the inspector in some ways, while it has offered a shield in others. Despite many opinions expressed in annual meetings over the years, no real answer has been provided to the problem. It has never been possible to agree upon a job description because of the variety of services and the different assignments across the country. The changing fields of technology make some responsibilities become mundane and uninteresting, and open new challenges for changes. Some fragmentation has been at the inspectors' request.

Since no real and documented evidence exists to provide answers, one must look at view points. Does the individual really want to spend his career as a policeman with set regulations and limited scope, does he want to be an educationalist, or does he want to have a flexible working field? His view point will depend on a choice or preference for work.

Through it all, the public continues to look to the local health agency for action on any problem felt to be public health. Local governments continue to request inspection in fields that are not really health. In this atmosphere of "demand service" it will be obvious that "quasi-health" work will be done and will be turned over eventually to the proper agencies.

Reading the history of fragmentation, as recorded, the problem is often one of poor communication or poor definition. What was considered to be a prime invasion of authority in one area had long since ceased to be even a routine function in another. Even the Branch Committees had problems in establishing priorities on their work.

The national view point has not centred on any one specific case of fragmentation. The problem has been local or provincial. It will continue as the inspector develops. The profession is subject to envy and other agencies will make inroads, but at the same time, it must be granted that the inspector has made inroads into fields which were cherished by others.

The Institute is made up of people. Unlike a building or a work of art, it cannot be viewed without regard for the human factors. The success or failure of any issue directly reflects the enthusiasm of the whole membership and ability of the elected officers.

Up the years covered in this presentation over 1,600 members are involved, about 600 of them became National or Branch Committee officers. When the rough draft was sent out to the editorial assistants, a list of members by Branch was included. This has been dropped because it became extremely difficult to make sure that every participant in Institute activities was included, and we were trying to keep the whole material as brief as possible.

It would be unfair to neglect the ladies. Not only are there female inspectors, but a number of the prominent actors in the Institute affairs had the loyal support of their wives. The time devoted to the work was stolen from the home. These wonderful women, at conferences, socials, or in any area in which they have been involved (even licking stamps) have been extremely important to the growth of the Institute.

The Institute officials are elected in the normal manner of the democratic political myth. The National officers are nominated by the Branch Committee and elected by majority vote. Most of the individuals involved serve as local committee personnel, then on to Branch Committee Directors and then on to the National. They have a firm background in the general affairs before they undertake the responsibility of representing the whole country. They establish a firm backing in local affairs and the ability to quickly adjust to the larger picture. They always surround themselves with committees whose members are specifically well informed in the assignment of the project, regardless of where they may live in relation to the site of the current head office.

While each and every member is important in that the power structure requires numbers for support and strength, some individuals must be recognized as leaders and opinion formers. It is these individuals whose names appear in the presentation, but they are not alone.

Collecting information by correspondence is interesting. If seven persons were present at a particular meeting, in the same room, they will present seven different sceneros of the event. Some claim credit, others add colour from other events, and still others have long forgotten the details. In most cases, the material has had to be obtained from the reference records and minutes. If the reader thinks the affairs happened in a different matter, the editor apologizes, but invites reading of the documents.

One of the flaws with formal minutes lies in the ability of Resolutions Committees to word the final draft in a polite and refined manner. It implies that the whole process was quiet and orderly. Perhaps a flattering image. In truth, most sessions were anything but methodical. The meetings rang with shouts and name calling on many an occasion. "Point of Order" calls were common. Some of the major issues covered in these chapters produced exciting near-riot meetings. Some became very angry over details, leaving meetings in a huff. In all, the Chair has tried to maintain Robert's Rules of Order, and the delegates have been able to establish their directives either during the session or over a series of meetings.

Like any large or national association, most of the planning and detail work is accomplished in the "back room" or at committee stage. Persons seeking publicity by making presentations on the floor usually found that the issue had been well researched and the proposers had prepared for questions.

An outsider attending a meeting and listening in to the verbal wars on Institute business would be amazed to find that the same individuals who fought so strongly on the floor against each other, were the best of friends after the meeting. Inspectors from all over the country have established friendships over the years, often as a shared experience with the families of those met each year at conferences.

The number of inspectors is small - there is a family kinship. Once the majority has spoken, swords are sheathed and they return to their homes as good friends.

It has been suggested that a page be devoted to those who gaze into crystal balls. Up the years there have been prophets of doom and gloom and those who see paradise. The present political, economical, and ethnic situation causes the ball to be cloudy at best. There seems to be a lack of faith in any doctrine, and mass apathy to pressure groups or desires for changes. Too much exposure of the sensational, too little of the factual. It is a doldrum phase of the cycle. But there are stirrings.

From reports and letters, the following possibilities have been presented.

The degree course will become a reality. There may follow a two-class system. It may result in specialization. It could also become a major factor in the final certification of inspectors by the Institute.

The Institute became National in 1956 with the formation of the Atlantic Branch, but it will become truly functional in the working life of each inspector as the branch groups are able to operate in harmony inwardly and with each other. Branch organizations may appeal for incorporation in their own provincial governments and seek controls of their affairs. The National Body may well become a licensing and training authority, dealing with the schools of learning.

The inspectors may find that working hours will change. The public seeks more evening and holiday consultation. The three-day week is not impossible, but it will have to be based on public demands for service.

Salaries will probably level off. While the actual amount may be higher, the relationship to the other disciplines will soon be important and part of the status. The high pay will come with high training and responsibility.

The nuclear age will bring major changes in food and housing. Packaging and transportation will be fields for concern. The complexity of modern technology can only increase and the inspector must prepare for it.

The inspector has survived the years, it is not a dying breed, like any living creature the profession moves in cycles of growth, life and death in certain parts, but always new birth and new hopes. The future belongs to those who prepare for it.

As a member of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, I acknowledge:

That I have an obligation to the sciences and arts for use advancement of Public Health. I will uphold the standards of my profession, continually search for truths, and disseminate my findings; and I will strive to keep myself fully informed of the developments in the field of Public Health.

That I have an obligation to the public whose trust I hold and I will endeavour, to the best of my ability, to guard their interest honestly and wisely. I will be loyal to the government division or industry by which I am retained.

That the enjoyment of the highest attainable standards of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.

That being loyal to my profession. I will uphold the Constitution and By-Laws of the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors and will, at all times, conduct myself in a manner worthy of my profession.

Our thanks to Bernice Lychowyd for typing the manuscript for this feature UP THE YEARS. Extra copies available at 5Oc each.

Order from:

The Environmental Health Review,
Box 112,
Maple Ridge, B.C.
V2X 7E9