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The Birth of Medicare
Since Tommy Douglas helped usher in Canada's Medicare system in 1967, it has earned the envy of the international community. Many Canadians see free public health care as the hallmark of what Pierre Elliott Trudeau called "The Just Society." Yet, as the Medicare debate has proven, it's a system that is not without its flaws or opponents.		Educational activities about The Birth of Medicare

	Tommy Douglas, Canada's Father of Medicare		Canadians ponder the Welfare State		An appeal to Canada's women
	Tommy Douglas, the former CCF Premier of Saskatchewan, explains his belief in the importance of government-funded health care. (TV; runs 1:13)		A burden removed or a Communist plot? A 1949 radio dramatization examines popular opinions for and against a national health scheme for Canadians. (Radio; runs 4:22)		Regina MLA, Marjorie Cooper, encourages Canadian women to support a national health insurance plan that includes the mentally ill. (Radio; runs 4:15)

	The Saskatchewan Doctors Strike		The pros and cons of Medicare		Medicare gets a rough ride in Regina
	Saskatchewan's doctors walk off the job to protest the province's universal health scheme. (TV; runs 1:53)		Saskatchewan's CCF Premier, W.S. Lloyd, and Dr. E.W. Barootes of the Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons offer their opposing views on centralized medicine. (TV; runs 2:08)		Opponents of the government's Medicare scheme rally before the legislature during Saskatchewan's Doctors Strike. (TV; runs 5:47)

	The strike is over		The Royal Commission on Health Services		Medicare becomes Canadian law
	Saskatchewan residents react to the end of the Doctors Strike. (TV; runs 1:27)		Supreme Court Justice Emmett Hall describes the reasons why Canada needs universal health care. (Radio; runs 1:06)		CBC reporters spread out across Canada to assess how ready the country is for the introduction of national Medicare. (TV; runs 5:03)

	Emmett Hall on Canada's health care system in 1980
	Mr. Justice Emmett Hall, whose 1964 report on health care in Canada set the groundwork for our national Medicare system, discusses his follow-up report in 1980. (Radio; runs 4:10)

LINKS Topic from Les Archives de Radio-Canada on the same subject Bilan de santé de l'assurance maladie CBC.ca Curing Health Care Curing Health Care: The Big Picture External sites Saskatchewan Council of Archives and Archivists: Medicare: A People's Issue The CBC assumes no responsibility for the content of external links.

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