B.C. LUMBER WORKER

HIS VISION WAS REALIZED

CHIEF JUSTICE Gordon M. Sloan (center) at the opening of the new W.C.B. Rehabilitation Centre, is praised for his recommendation

which helped to make the new Centre possible. Group from left, George H.
W.C.B. Chairman; Chief Justice Sloan; Dr. W. E. Milbrandt, Centre Medical

hell, IWA District Secretary-Treasurer; J. E. Eades,
irector; John T. Atkinson, IWA District Safety Director.

W.C.B. REHAB. CENTRE
PROVIDES NEW HOPE

Rehabilitation Centre of the Workmen’s Compensation Board which was officially
opened on December 15 by the Hon. Lyle Wicks, Minister of Labor, was described on
the occasion as the most modern institution of its kind in Canada, and therefore one
which marks a most important milestone in the development of facilities ministering
to the recovery of injured workmen in B.C.

Attending the ceremony as
guests of the Minister and the
members of the Workmen’s Com-
pensation Board were many trade
union officials, including those of
the IWA, who toured the new
building and inspected the opera-
tion of all types of treatment.

Sloan Recommendation

Also present on the occasion
were, Chief Justice Gordon M.
Sloan, whose recommendation
secured authorization for the im-

Rehabilitation

war years, an increase in the
number of industrial accidents
over-taxed the treatment facili-
ties. Chairman Winn met the
emergent situation requiring
treatment facilities for industrial
casualties by founding a rehab-
ilitation centre on 2nd Ave., Van-
couver. This was a renovated
church gymnasium, and large
numbers of injured workmen
were sent here for treatment.

A New Centre

The need for a new Centre was
specifically recognized by Chief
Justice Sloan who made a re-
commendation to the Government
in 1952 in his Royal Commission
Report that improved facilities
be provided. Construction was
authorized on March 28th, 1953
by the present Government at a
contract price of approximately
$1,000,000.00.

It is the aim of the Rehabilita-
tion Centre to provide complete
rehabilitation services for in-
jured workmen from the time
of injury until he-or she is able
to return to work.

proved treatment facilities, and
Mr. E. S. H. Winn, a former

Chairman of the Board whose

action started the first treatment
centre in 1942,

Many members of the Legisla-
ture and the House of Commons
were on hand to compliment the
Board on a well-planned centre.

The story which’ was told re-
garding the origin of the centre
revealed that during the early

Centre exterior.

ee

The main function of the
Centre is to provide specialized
treatment designed to reduce
physical impairment to a mini-
mum and to shorten the period
of convalescence.

It is well recognized that con-
tinuity of supervised treatment
following injury is of the utmost
importance. To assist the doctor
in the care of his patients the
Board has placed physiothera-
pists in the major hospitals in
Vancouver. They are there to
supervise daily remedial exer-
cises when prescribed by the at-
tending doctor. In addition thera-
pists carry out similar treatment
in two large private ’ hospitals
which care for most of our con-
valescing patients who still re-
quire nursing care.

The Special Treatment

All ambulatory patients are
referred to the Rehabilitation
Centre for special treatment
which includes:

(a) various forms of physical
therapy;

(b) vocational rehabilitation
service, including vocational
counselling, placement and re-

training where deemed beneficial.

by alleviating pain and promot-
ing the resorption of exudates
and other inflammatory pro-
ducts.

They also make it possible to
inerease the circulation of any
particular spot in the body with
all its beneficial effects. These
physical agents make it much
easier to carry out probably the
most important part of any re-
habilitation programme, namely
supervised remedial exercises.

These exercises are carried out
individually in the early, more
acute cases and later on in
classes, but always under the

supervision of trained therapists.
Occupational therapy also pro-

use of physical agents such as
heat, cold, light, electricity, water
(including a therapeutic pool)
and many mechanical exercise
devices. The physical agents ma-
terially assist in the biological
reparative action of the tissues

RESOLVE NOW
To work with care/

vides activity by making use of
many crafts, games, and finally
heavy exercises which are per-
formed in the work testing room.
Vocational Training
Vocational rehabilitation ser-

vices are provided by special of-

“Give me a light that I may +
‘

When time ushers in a ey

look to the future with: mingle
fidence, fear, courage, bitternes;
nature of the one’s previous yea

presented by circumstances.
i

Some will meet the New Yor
life will continue on in an untrout
tions will be realized. Some will }
by which to plan future aetions,
which to grasp an elusive securif

While future events are stil)
certainty that the workmen of t
accidents that will be fatal to mo:
impair approximately 1,500 mor
20,000 will temporarily prevent {1
workmen will Tequire medical 2
thousands will need first aid trea’

And, just as surely as these’
tainty that the workmen of Britigh
eliminate such incidents and all
with them by self-control of un:
develop safe thinking and by eo-o}
mote conditions that give opportu

8

Workmen's Com

EDWIN J, EADES,
F. P. ARCHIBALD,
CHRIS, W. PRITCH
E, V, ABLETT, Cop

se