This Indigenous community was wiped out during the pandemic in 1918. Johnny Jack and his father, at Little Salmon, Yukon. Because of the critical and selfless role that nurses and VADs played during the war and then the influenza crisis, they garnered the admiration of the public who viewed them as heroes. Unfortunately, but inevitably, some ended up catching the virus and perishing. Doctors and nurses valiantly worked long hours to treat and care for their patients, putting themselves at great risk in the process. Their role was to assist the professional nurses during the pandemic. In response, around 2,000 female middle-class volunteers were recruited and trained as nurse’s aides with the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) program. The scope and intensity of the pandemic also led to a dire shortage of physicians and nurses in many areas. In response, a number of communities opened temporary isolation hospitals to treat patients during the pandemic. The sudden and staggering number of patients requiring care overwhelmed and crippled many of the country’s hospitals.
Consequently, most cities and communities had to fend for themselves during the pandemic. There was neither a federal health department at this time, nor a national health policy. Many Canadians also turned to home remedies and traditional treatments to help cope with the distressing symptoms associated with the flu and potentially combat the virus.
Instead, public health officials and medical practitioners promoted preventative measures such as hand washing, avoiding social situations, and wearing a mask to protect the public from the disease and prevent it from spreading further. The medical profession didn’t have any effective vaccines or medical treatments to prevent or cure the flu. However, those between 20 and 40 years of age proved to be the most vulnerable. The disease indiscriminately infected people of all ages, classes, and cultures. This item appeared in the Edmonton Bulletin on 21 October, 1918.
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