It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to not include the descriptor ‘pioneer’ in any review of the life work of Dr. Garry Humphreys.
As the Medical Officer of Health for Peterborough City and County from 1984 to 1986, and again from 1991 to 2008, Dr. Humphreys advocated for, and implemented, several significant public health initiatives which continue to serve us well to this day.
Consider, for example, that long before the advent of COVID-19 – the most serious public health crisis in world history – Dr. Humphreys worked as assistant vice-president of clinical trials at Connaught Laboratories from 1986 to 1991. That experience fueled his lifelong push of the benefits of vaccine use.
In 1991, when Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health issued a report outlining the impacts of cigarette smoke on both smokers and non-smokers, Dr. Humphreys jumped into action, eventually convincing local elected officials to implement a bylaw that protected residents from the effects of second-hand smoke. That bylaw paved the way for subsequent wider legislation that to this day prohibits smoking in bars, restaurants and other public spaces.
Those who today receive health care services from nurse practitioners also owe Dr. Humphreys a debt of gratitude.
He lobbied the provincial government to fund nurse practitioner-led clinics that were established in rural communities such as Havelock, Keene and Curve Lake First Nation in 2008.
Earlier, in 2004, Dr. Humphreys organized education sessions for local physicians on diagnosing occupational health hazards, including asbestos exposure. That led to his lobbying Queen’s Park to establish occupational health clinics, enabling the mass screening of workers and their family members.
In times of crisis, Dr. Humphreys was equally relentless. In 2004, when flood waters ravaged Peterborough, he worked closely with the Red Cross to ensure kits containing face masks and cleaning supplies were widely distributed. Further, Dr. Humphreys secured the funding for those supplies.
Beyond the public health realm, Dr. Humphreys’ community service included his years as a proud Rotarian, serving a term as club president. In that capacity, he worked closely with Camp Kawartha, ensuring wonderful summer experiences for children from families with limited resources. Another benefactor of Dr. Humphreys’ voluntarism was Prince of Wales Public School, where he prepared food for the Peterborough school’s breakfast program.
While those contributions were visible for many to see, Dr. Humphreys’ kindness also shone through in less heralded, but no less life changing acts. Fueled by a desire to ensure that young people are able to attend or visit something on their wish list, Dr. Humphreys often accompanied students to plays and musicals in Toronto, and also to Niagara Falls.
Dr. Humphreys passed in late 2019. However, even in retirement his fierce commitment to public health never wavered. Earlier that same year, he spoke at Peterborough Public Health’s Back to the Future event, where he lauded the role vaccines have to play in our wellbeing, and in particular, their importance in the eradication of polio.