A brief history of Canada's public health care system 1946 - Citizens of Swift Current, Sask. 1947 - Saskatchewan's CCF government, led by Tommy Douglas, introduces the first provincial hospital insurance program in Canada. 1953 - Liberals under Louis St. Laurent introduce a National Health Grants Program, to assist provinces with construction of new hospitals. 1957 - Liberal government of Louis St. Laurent introduces a national hospital insurance program. 1962 - Saskatchewan's NDP government introduces North America's first public medicare program.
Doctors walk out, with the support of dentists, drug companies, business groups, and the media.
NDP government imports doctors from Britain and strike collapses after 3 weeks. 1965 - Royal Commission headed by Emmett Hall calls for a universal and comprehensive national health insurance program, with minimum standards set across the country. Unions, churches, women's groups and farmers meet in Ottawa to throw their support behind the proposal. 1966 - Parliament enacts Bill 227, creating a national medicare program. Ottawa agrees to pay 50 per cent of provincial health costs.