Our History
Our history in brief
The Canadian Thoracic Society was established when the Canadian Tuberculosis Association, now The Lung Association, recognized the need for a medical association as evidenced by the increase in attendance of both medical and non-medical members at the annual meetings. In 1946, a program committee arranged for a medical section where items of purely medical interest were discussed. Formalizing this section was discussed at subsequent meetings and as a consequence a study of medical personnel was undertaken in 1953. In 1954, a plan was developed along with a suggested constitution and submitted to a group of interested physicians. In 1955, a constitution and by-laws were drafted, but it was not until 1958 that the final constitution was approved and the first official meeting of the Canadian Thoracic Society took place.
Much of the thought that lay behind the organization of the Canadian Thoracic Society evolved because of the great need to solve the problems of medical education and research in the field of tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases. Increasing difficulty was encountered in obtaining experienced staff because of the decline in the incidence of tuberculosis, and there was an obvious need for a broader viewpoint on the treatment and prevention of respiratory diseases in general.
Up until its incorporation as a distinct legal entity in 2015, the CTS served as the medical section of The Lung Association and remains a strong collaborating partner. The Canadian Thoracic Society is registered as a non-profit organization with the Canada Revenue Agency and Industry Canada (Business No. 80986 6965).
Personalized History of the CTS
Click here to view A Book of Recollections – A Personalized History of the CTS (PDF)
Compiled on the occasion of the CTS’ 50th anniversary, this document presents the recollections of past presidents and leaders.
Historical Notes
Click here to access Canadian Thoracic Society – Historical Notes (PDF), an article written by Dr. Peter MacLeod, originally published in a 1998 edition of the CTS’ Airwaves newsletter.
CTS, Truth & Reconciliation
CTS is committed to a journey of truth and reconciliation, to learning and sharing our history, acknowledging health inequities, and standing with indigenous peoples to break down barriers that stand in the way of respiratory health for all. As a professional society, CTS will work for its members through a dedication to continued learning and allyship.
Tuberculosis (TB) & Indian Hospitals
Until the mid-19th Century, tuberculosis was known as ‘lung consumption’1. In Canada, TB was a major public health concern in the late 1800s through to the mid-1900s. After the 1950’s, and with the increasing use of anti-tuberculosis drugs, there was a decline in the incidence of tuberculosis among non-Indigenous Canadian-born individuals.
This, however, was not the case for indigenous peoples across Canada. “The effects of TB were magnified by malnutrition associated with loss of traditional food sources and the decline of the fur trade, as well as concurrent epidemics of other infectious diseases.2” TB outbreaks continue to be a persistent problem today. You can review the TB monitoring details on the Government of Canada website here.
“Persistently high rates of TB among Canadian Indigenous Peoples are a symptom of health disparities rooted in colonization”3. As part of the decolonization movement, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada outlined several key Calls to Action that pertain to health, including the education of health workers working with Indigenous populations (Call to Action #24)4.
In the 1930s the federal Indian Health Services opened Indian Hospitals, as part of a larger program to survey, institutionalize, and rehabilitate people with indigenous ancestry with TB, specifically First Nations, Métis and Inuit. The These Indian Hospitals were to operate at half the cost of municipal and provincial hospitals and would operate as general hospitals, addressing more than just TB treatment. Notably, Indian hospitals did not provide Indigenous medicines, midwives or holistic notions of illness and its treatment. The intention of the Indian Hospitals was the segregation and isolation of indigenous peoples from their homes, families, and culture – to further assimilationist goals. The last Indian Hospital closed in 1981.
An Apology
In September 2024, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) apologized for its role, and the role of the medical profession, in past and ongoing harms to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in the health system. The full apology and ReconciliACTION plan can be viewed on the CMA website here.
As part of the apology process, and to better understand both the role of the CMA and the role of physicians in harms caused to Indigenous Peoples, the CMA conducted an in-depth review of more than 150 years of archives. You can review this Historical and Ethical Review Report here.
Weblinks to partner sites:
LungSask – Care and History of Indigenous Peoples
Manitoba Indigenous Tuberculosis History Project