The C.W. Wiebe Medical Centre celebrated 100 years since Dr. Cornelius W. Wiebe first began practicing medicine in the region last week.
Staff, dignitaries, and community members gathered to honour his enduring legacy and the impact the man’s work has had on the community.
Karen-Denise Cyr, Executive Director of the Centre, opened the event, welcoming attendees and reflecting on Dr. Wiebe’s contributions to the community.
She shared why they felt the need to acknowledge the start of Dr. Wiebe’s practice of medicine.
“It’s an opportunity to honour the legacy of that man whose dedication to caring has helped really shape the community and whose work formed, I think, what is the foundation of what our physicians and healthcare professionals today really rest upon in providing healthcare today 100 years later.”
Memories of a doctor
Dr. Cornelius Woelk, who started at the Centre just shy of 36 years ago, shared a memorable moment he had with Dr. Wiebe in his younger years.
“I never actually worked with Doctor Wiebe… But I did get a chance to meet him on a few occasions, he said, “One time Dr. Wiebe was sitting there and he called me over… he pulled out a magazine and said ‘I want you to read this article… and then I want you to come to my place for tea.’”
He continued to share how the magazine was an obscure medical journal, and held in it a speculative study on how the immune system could control cancer: immunotherapy.
Reflecting on Dr. Wiebe’s influence, he said, “He had a real sense of curiosity, and he was thinking about the future. He was open to change.”
A visionary leader
Dr. Chandy Jacob, who worked with Dr. Wiebe, took the time to point to the man’s broader impact on the community outside of medicine.
“Dr. Wiebe was not just a physician; he was a builder with great vision and a hard worker, and a politician, and surrounding areas could thank the doctor for the dedication and hard work, not only for the progress in the medical care, but also for the overall growth of the area… Through his leadership in establishing expanded local healthcare services and his dedication to the community-based initiatives.”
Dr. Don Klassen, who worked briefly with Dr. Wiebe, said the man had strong foresight when it came to healthcare.
“He noted that infection, sepsis and bleeding were two of the major causes of maternal mortality… and he thought he would do something about that.”
He pointed to the epidemics of the time as another major focus. “He saw lots of TB… lots of diphtheria… He saw people who died of tetanus… the whole polio epidemic of the early 50s in this area.”
Reflecting on Dr. Wiebe’s life and career, Klassen recalled that, “At the age of 105, and I think that’s a year before he passed away, he was the oldest ever recipient of the Order of Canada.”
Other stories:
An inspirational legacy
Mavis Reimer, who wrote Dr. Wiebe’s biography, described him as “He was interested in challenging your perceptions, he was informative… Lots of my conversations were actually inspirational, because even at his advanced stage at that point… He was still always thinking about the next thing he was going to do, so he was future-oriented and still dreaming dreams. So I would have said inspirational is probably the best way to encapsulate him.”
A centennial celebration for a man who not only started practicing 100 years ago, but continued to dedicate his professional and personal life to a community that was unquestionably marked by Dr. Wiebe’s values.
Values that continue to guide the Centre and its physicians today.
For those who wish to learn more, or remember the doctor themselves, the C.W. Wiebe Medical Centre unveiled a memorial wall dedicated to Dr. Wiebe and his legacy that is publicly available for any and all to see as they walk through the halls of the Centre.